A 40-year-old man was sentenced by the Boschfontein Regional Court to 20 years’ direct imprisonment on Thursday, April 30, for the murder of his girlfriend, Maria Khaliphako (45). Victor Mathebula pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted of murder.

The court heard that on November 26, 2024, Mathebula and Khaliphako travelled from Barberton to Buffelspruit to visit his aunt for the weekend, where they were accommodated in a separate room.

The following morning, after spending time with family and consuming alcohol, the couple returned to their room. An argument over a phone call escalated into a physical altercation, during which Mathebula stabbed Khaliphako multiple times, resulting in her death.

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Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the NPA in Mpumalanga, said that after realising the deceased was unresponsive, the accused locked the room and fled to Eswatini.

“Concerned by the unusual silence, his family went to investigate. Upon finding the door locked, Mathebula’s nephew looked through a window and discovered Khaliphako lying in a pool of blood. The matter was immediately reported to the police, triggering a manhunt that led to Mathebula’s arrest,” she said.

During proceedings, prosecutor Thembile Ngonyama argued that the guilty plea did not demonstrate genuine remorse, but was rather due to overwhelming evidence against him. The State further submitted that Khaliphako was brutally murdered by someone who was expected to protect her, and urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as both a deterrent and a strong message against gender-based violence.

Victim impact statements, compiled by Khaliphako’s family with the assistance of court preparation officer Lizzy Mhlongo, were also presented to the court. Nyuswa said the statements highlighted the profound emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the family.

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In sentencing, the court found substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, including that Mathebula was a first-time offender and had pleaded guilty, thereby saving the court’s time.

He was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act.