Mfaniseni Thomas Mathe (48) has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his domenstic partner, Poppy Happy Thela. Mathe pleaded guilty and was convicted and sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sitting in Ermelo recently.
Mathe killed Thela on February 25 last year when she returned to their home in Ext 4 in Breyten after having been away for several days. The National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said: “Upon her return, she was reportedly intoxicated and found Mathe asleep. An argument broke out between the two, which escalated into a violent altercation. Mathe pushed the victim against a coal stove, causing her to fall, then assaulted her with a black rubber pipe and stabbed her several times using a knife.”
Nyuswa said Mathe left Thela lying on the floor and went to sleep. When he found her body the following morning he wrapped it in a blanket and plastic bag, tied with rope, before and dumping it in a sewer hole close by. The police found the body with its throat slit and Mathe was arrested.
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“The post-mortem report confirmed the cause of death as multiple stab wounds to the neck and a photo album depicting the scene where Thela’s body was found was submitted as evidence in court,” Nyuswa said.
In aggravation of a sentence a senior state advocate, Themba Lusenga, highlighted the prevalence of gender-based violence in the Ermelo jurisdiction. He argued that the offender was not fully truthful about the extent of the assault, particularly his failure to disclose that he had slit the victim’s throat. Lusenga urged the court to protect the dignity and lives of women by imposing an appropriate and stern sentence.
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In delivering judgment, the court remarked on the country’s alarming rate of violent crimes, especially those related to gender-based violence and femicide. It stressed the need for courts to impose harsh penalties to deter such acts.
Mathe was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
