PASTRY CHEF” KILLER PLEADS GUILTY – CONVICTED OF MURDER
Johannesburg – The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division in Johannesburg, has convicted Sibusiso Zitha (41) of the murder of his former girlfriend, Thembekile Letlape, affectionately known as The Pastry Chef. Zitha pleaded guilty to the charge and was accordingly found guilty as charged. The matter has been postponed to 28 August 2025 for the compilation of a pre-sentence report, following a request by the defence.
Letlape and Zitha had been in a domestic relationship and lived together in Fourways. On 30 May 2024, during an argument while Letlape was preparing food in their home, Zitha violently attacked her. In the presence of his 10-year-old daughter, who was watching a movie at the time, the accused took multiple knives and stabbed the victim several times in her face and chest. She succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the guilty plea and conviction. We are confident that, after hearing all sentencing submissions, the court will impose a punishment befitting the brutality and tragic nature of this crime.
