CHEATING WIFE SENTENCED TO LIFE AND 38 YEARS FOR KILLING HER HUSBAND
The Pretoria High Court sentenced a wife from Soshanguve, Marriod Ndebele (47), her boyfriend Piet Tlowaye Monyai (62) and a Soshanguve Community Policing Forum (CPF) member Tshepo Frans Kekana (40). The three were sentenced to life imprisonment each for the premeditated murder of Ndebele’s husband, Farai Ndebele. The wife was further sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for possession of unlawful firearm, 5 years for possession of unlawful ammunition, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and 3 years for defeating the administration of justice. However, Kekana was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearm, 5 years for unlawful possession of ammunition as well as 25 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Marriod was married to the deceased for 25 years, before the incident and had two children. However, Marriod was also involved in a love relationship with Monyai. On 14 June 2019, Ndebele arranged with her boyfriend’s grandson Koketso Piet Monyai (24), who is already sentenced in this matter and Kekana to kill her husband. Koketso then took Marriod to his friend Ndivhuwo John Tshiwela, to request a firearm for a payment of R750.00 she received from her boyfriend. Four days later on 18 June 2019, the boyfriend drove Koketso and Kekana to Ndebele’s house, where they shot and killed the husband. Thereafter, Marriod instructed them to take some of her husband’s belongings to stage a robbery. After the two left, Marriod reported the matter to the police and said she did not know the killers.
After investigations by the police, Marriod was arrested on 22 June 2019, at her home, while Monyai and Kekana were arrested a few days later on 24 June 2016, at their homes in Soshanguve. In court they all pleaded not guilty to the charges, however, Kekana pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances. They all further asked the Judge to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence. Through his Attorney, the boyfriend asked the court to consider his age when imposing a sentence. However, the prosecutor Advocate Ronnie Sibanda, told the court that there was no justification for Marriod to kill her husband, she was motivated by jealousy of her boyfriend. He further told the court that Monyai was the mastermind behind the killing. He planned it, brought all the participants together and fetched them after the incident. Lastly, he told the court that Kekana was not a first-time offender, he committed this offence while out on probation after he was convicted and sentenced for rape and robbery, therefore he asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
When handing down the sentence Judge Portia Phahlane, said everyone has a right to life, and the courts must protect that right. The deceased was killed because his wife was blinded by love. She said she agreed with the state that the three showed no remorse for their actions, she therefore found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Sibongile Mzinyathi welcomes the sentence and applauds the work of the investigating officer Sgt Peter Mafako Madau which enabled the NPA to secure a conviction and the sentence.
