Today, 19 August 2011, the case against a woman accused of being the mastermind of her husband’s murder was finalised.
Betty Tsie 38, and her accomplices John Masuku (52), Selby Khanya (40), Wisdom Cindi (24), Bongani Nkambule (42), were all found guilty for killing Mishack Malapane 40, and sentenced at the Middelburg Circuit of the Pretoria High Court.
Malapane, who was a teacher at Vikela School of Industry in Ogies, was killed on 20 June 2008 after his wife, Tsie hired her lover to go to the school and threaten him. Masuku roped in Khanya, Cindi, and Nkambule but when they arrived at the school, they attacked Malapane with pick-handles and iron rods. They bundled his body in the boot of a car, drove to the veld, and set it alight.
The accused were arrested four months after the murder. Judge Selewe Monthle said there was no evidence that the murder was pre-planned, otherwise he would have considered imposing life sentence on all the accused. However, the court could not escape the fact that an innocent man had been brutally murdered and therefore the minimum sentence required by law had to be imposed.
Accused No.1 Betty Tsie was sentenced to 15 years in jail, while No.2 John Masuku was sentenced to 5 years half of which was suspended, accused No.3 Selby Khanya was sentenced to 12 years in jail and Wisdom Cindi to 10 years. Accused No5, Bongani Nkambule will serve 12 years in jail.
The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Ntobela, has applauded the meticulous manner in which the involved investigating officers have conducted themselves and ultimately secured a conviction in this case.
Enquiries
Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Hlathi
Cell: 082 462 0804
Five sentenced for murder
