A 40-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years’ direct imprisonment by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court on July 30 for the murder of his girlfriend, Lindiwe Julia Maseko (25). Zakhele John Mbuli pleaded guilty to the offence and was subsequently convicted of murder.

Cellphone dispute leads to fatal assault

According to Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, the court heard that on March 7, 2025, the accused and the deceased were at the accused’s residence in Nhlazatshe when an argument erupted after the deceased’s cellphone rang.

Mbuli insisted that she answer the call in his presence. An argument escalated into a violent assault during which the accused repeatedly struck Maseko on the head and neck with a pick handle, causing fatal injuries.

Nyuswa said that after realising that the woman was no longer breathing, the Mbuli cleaned the blood from the floor and moved her body to another room.

He then went to a neighbour, confessed to what he had done, and subsequently handed himself over to the police.

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Nyuswa said the accused expressed disappointment and embarrassment over his actions, apologised to the Maseko’s family, and acknowledged that his conduct was wrong and punishable by law.

State pushes for heavy sentence

In mitigation of sentence, the defence submitted that Mbuli had demonstrated genuine remorse and voluntarily surrendered to the police, requesting that the court impose a lenient sentence.

In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Zilindile Phindiso urged the court to consider the seriousness and prevalence of the offence, as well as widespread public concern over gender-based violence (GBV). Phindiso argued that the court should impose no less than 25 years’ direct imprisonment to reflect the gravity of the offence and the devastating impact on the deceased’s family.

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The state presented photos depicting the severe injuries sustained by the deceased, which were corroborated by a post-mortem report.

In a victim impact statement, the Maseko’s mother explained that the deceased had been the family’s primary breadwinner. She added that her children had suffered immensely after their mother’s death and were forced to relocate from their maternal grandparents’ home to live with their father.

Nyuswa said the court remarked that Mbuli’s actions were driven by insecurity and anger and emphasised the need to protect women and children from GBV and domestic violence.

The accused was sentenced to 30 years’ direct imprisonment and was declared unfit to possess a firearm.