The 36-year-old Nkosi was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for the murder and rape of 23-year-old Nomcebo Simelane.

The Mpumalanga High Court sitting at Breyten on Monday sentenced Nkosi after his guilty plea following overwhelming evidence brought forward by the state against him.

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The court heard that on September 5, 2020, a friend of Nkosi requested him to give a lift to Simelane from a liquor outlet in Breyten as it was late for her to travel alone at night.

“Instead of taking her home, he took a different route to a secluded area near the R36 Road. He then raped her and strangled her to death inside his vehicle. Nkosi then dumped her lifeless body in an open field and fled the scene.

“The following day, he realised that her cell phone was inside his car and threw it into a sewage pipe in an attempt to ensure that no one would ever find out the truth,” Police spokesperson, Col Donald Mdhluli said.

Simelane was then reported missing after her family could not locate her and her lifeless body was then discovered next to the R36 Road on 06 September 2020.

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Lieutenant General Manamela has also praised the investigation team, the Prosecution as well as the Judiciary for the sterling work done in this case which culminated into a well-deserved sentence.

“The sentence will hopefully serve as a deterrence to those who think that women do not deserve to live and be treated as human beings but rather suffer at their hands,” Manamela said.