On June 25, the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela sentenced a 31-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of his female friend.

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, Hitler Bongani Mnisi was sentenced after fatally stabbing 25-year-old Thabisile Mashaba on June 11, 2023.

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“The police received information about a woman who had been stabbed and taken to Matikwane Hospital in Mkhuhlu. Upon arrival, it was established that Mashaba had sustained multiple stab wounds. She was unable to speak at the time. A case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened and investigated,” said Mdhluli.

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He added that three days later, Mashaba was able to tell police what had happened. She said she and Mnisi had argued on the day of the incident, and that he had stabbed her with a knife.

“As the investigation progressed, the charge was changed to attempted murder.

Mashaba was discharged from hospital on June 16, but died two days later. A postmortem confirmed that her death was the result of injuries sustained during the stabbing, and the charge was escalated to murder,” said Mdhluli.

Mnisi was arrested on June 20, 2023. The state presented a strong case during the trial, and he was found guilty of murder on April 9.