Man sentenced to life for brutal murder of girlfriend in Breyten
The court heard disturbing details of the murder: after an argument escalated, Mathe assaulted Thela with a black rubber pipe and stabbed her with a knife.
BREYTEN – Mfaniseni Thomas Mathe (48) has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Poppy Happy Thela.
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Breyten, delivered the sentence after Mathe pleaded guilty to
the crime.
The court heard that Mathe and Thela had lived together in KwaZanele.
Thela returned home on February 25, 2024 after being away for several days, saying that she had gone to resolve issues with her ID at the Department of Home Affairs.
She was reportedly intoxicated on her return and an argument between her and Mathe escalated into a violent altercation.
During the fight, he pushed her against a coal stove and she fell.
Mathe assaulted Thela with a black rubber pipe and stabbed her multiple times with a knife.
After she had lost consciousness, he left her lying on the floor and went to sleep.
Read the complete article in Highvelder.
