Chilling details of abuse have emerged in the events leading up to the murder of Nontobeko Cele, allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend, who filmed a confession shortly after committing the crime.

The video, which went viral and shocked the nation, shows the self-confessed murderer justifying the killing and revealing disturbing motives.

Following the video’s release, police discovered Cele’s body on a road in Malangeni, Umzinto, with multiple stab wounds.

Near the scene, they also found the body of her boyfriend Sbusiso Lawrence, a primary school teacher from Scottburgh, hanging from a tree.

Lawrence’s vehicle was found abandoned nearby.

The video, which has been viewed over 20 000 times, shows Lawrence explaining his actions, claiming that Cele had birthed a child that wasn’t his and that he was entitled to her Road Accident Fund (RAF) payout.

“You will say I am cruel. I tried. I worked very hard in my life trying to satisfy a woman… but she gave birth to a child that isn’t mine,” he is heard saying.

The devastating news was first broken to Cele’s family through the video on social media.

Mano Cele, a family member, expressed shock and anger at Lawrence’s portrayal of Nontobeko.

In a telephone interview from her South Coast home, Mano said:

“We did not know any of this until we saw it on social media. We found out that our daughter was dead from social media.”

She condemned Lawrence’s accusations, particularly his claims about Nontobeko’s child, which the family says were unfounded.

Mano recounted Nontobeko’s struggle to escape the abusive relationship.

She said that Lawrence had repeatedly manipulated and abused Nontobeko, even locking her in the car and speeding off, after an outing with the children to buy Christmas clothes.

He would always come back to her. He paid lobola for her and when she tried to break up, he once hit her with his car. He apologised and convinced her not to press charges.

In the video, Lawrence is heard blaming Cele for his actions, saying:

“I stayed and took care of that child. She grew tired of me and dumped me just because her RAF [payout] was coming …”

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that Cele’s body was found with stab wounds and a broken knife beside her.

Lawrence’s vehicle was found nearby, and an intensive search led to the discovery of his body.

The police are investigating the incident as a murder and have opened an inquest docket to further investigate the circumstances of Lawrence’s death.

KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli expressed his condolences to the Cele family and reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to ending gender-based violence.

“Tragically, the perpetrator has taken his own life, denying us the opportunity to ensure that justice is served. This incident highlights the urgency of addressing gender-based violence.”

The case came to light shortly after the launch of the province’s 365 Days of Action to End Violence against Women and Children campaign, underscoring the critical need to eradicate gender-based violence and femicide.

Pietermaritzburg-based clinical psychologist Clive Willows commented on the psychological profile of perpetrators of gender-based violence, noting that many abusers are narcissistic and seek attention.

“It is not entirely shocking when an abuser posts themselves committing such crimes. Most of them are ego-driven, and social media draws attention to them,” Willows said.

He called for a ban on such posts, noting that the video had already been shared by over 15 000 people.

“These types of posts should be banned from social media. The less publicity, the better.”