Moses Simphiwe Mbuli (43) was sentenced to two life terms for the 2024 rape and murder of his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Sisekelo Rasheeda Seyama, in Piet Retief.

Mbuli pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted of both rape and murder. He was in a relationship with Sisekelo’s mother, and they all lived together.

According to a press release by NPA Regional spokesperson (Mpumalanga) Monica Nyuswa, Sisekelo came back from school on November 22, 2024, and found Mbuli alone at home. She went to change her school uniform, and upon returning, Mbuli approached her and proposed they have sex. When Sisekelo refused, he raped her, assaulted her, and strangled her. It is said that Mbuli then fled the scene.

Mbuli was later arrested and denied bail. When he pleaded guilty, he told the court that his actions were motivated by lust and temptation.

State Advocate Kedibone Mthimkhulu highlighted the prevalence of such offences and noted that Mbuli’s plea was influenced by the overwhelming evidence against him, urging the court to impose appropriate sentences.

The Middelburg High Court sentenced Mbuli to life imprisonment for rape and life imprisonment for murder, with the sentences to run concurrently. The court further ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children.