Murderer claims he had no reason to kill his ex
NELSPRUIT – The man known as the “Sanlam murderer” admitted to shooting his ex-girlfriend in full view of her colleagues but claims he “couldn’t find a reason for doing it”. Steven Malumane (25) of Chochocho near Hazyview, appeared in the Nelspruit Circuit of the North Gauteng High Court for judgement on Wednesday. He initially pleaded …

NELSPRUIT – The man known as the “Sanlam murderer” admitted to shooting his ex-girlfriend in full view of her colleagues but claims he “couldn’t find a reason for doing it”.
Steven Malumane (25) of Chochocho near Hazyview, appeared in the Nelspruit Circuit of the North Gauteng High Court for judgement on Wednesday. He initially pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, but guilty to hijacking and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Malumane shot Ms Cynthia Mashego, (35), at her workplace on the third floor of the Sanlam building in Nelspruit on March 22 last year.
Judge Mmonoa Teffo found Malumane guilty on all counts, including murder, and postponed the matter to Friday for sentencing. Teffo said the accused had known he was going to kill Mashego.
Malumane told the court,” I have kept asking myself why I killed her, and I still can’t find an answer.”
He and Mashego had been dating, but when she broke up with him and began to date another man, he started sending her threatening SMSes.
Teffo said on the morning of the incident, Malumane went to Magagula Attorneys where Mashego worked, dragged her into a corridor and fired two shots.
She said witnesses had confirmed that on the day of the incident he refused to leave the office until Mashego had spoken to him. According to his colleagues, she was terrified of him, but relented after the other staff members urged her to talk to him so that he would leave.
He then took her by the hand into the corridor.
Seconds later, shots were heard as well as Mashego’s screams. She later died of her wounds.
Malumane fled and hijacked a blue Toyota Corolla and kidnapped its owner, Mr Vusimuzi Frans Mabuza. He fled with Mabuza to his parents’ home in Chochocho, but his family called the police and he was arrested.

Prosecutor Molatlhwa Mashuga said Malumane pleaded guilty only because the police had done such a fantastic job that all the evidence was clearly there, so he had known he could not get away with it.
Yet defence advocate, Malanguti Malanguti, for Malumane, pleaded to the judge to be lenient in sentencing, claiming his client had shown remorse and had been open with the court about what had happened.
Nonetheless Teffo found Malumane guilty on all counts, including murder, and postponed the case to Friday for sentencing.
Col Gerrie Agenbag, head of Nelspruit’s detective branch, congratulated
WOs Kobus van Niekerk, Jerry Mamba and AB Mnisi on their thorough investigation.
“Malumane was linked to the murder at various levels, thanks to the detectives’ perseverance and hard work. This might have prompted him to plead guilty on some of the charges.”