A Pretoria man has been convicted of the premeditated murder of his estranged wife after dousing her with boiling water during a brutal attack.

Pretoria Rekord reports that the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria found the man (47) guilty following harrowing testimony from their oldest child and medical experts, confirming his role in his estranged wife’s (39) death.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said at the time of the incident, the couple had been separated for over eight months due to the man’s infidelity, after he was caught in a relationship with his wife’s brother’s girlfriend.

“While he remained in the marital home with their three children (aged 16, 13 and nine), the deceased had moved to rented accommodation in Soshanguve Block TT.”

Mahanjana said that on the evening of October 28, 2022, he went to the room his wife was renting with their children, as they had arranged for the wife to care for the children at the marital home while he travelled.

“However, when he could not find her, he went to her residence again at around 22:00 that night.

“When he arrived, an argument ensued between the two, and he forced her to return with him to his home.”

Mahanjana said once there, he instructed the children to remain in their bedroom before assaulting the deceased and burning her with boiling water in the bathtub.

“After hearing the mother’s screams, the eldest child alerted the police and reported what was happening. When officers arrived, the child opened the gate for them, but the man fled.

“Upon entering the house, the police found the [wife] crawling on the lounge floor, where she informed police that her husband had burnt her.”

She was rushed to the hospital but passed away on December 31.

“The post-mortem confirmed her death was caused by severe burn wounds requiring surgical intervention.”

Mahanjana said the man handed himself over to the Soshanguve Police Station the day after the attack.

The children had been placed in care due to a lack of parental supervision.

“In court, [he] denied guilt, claiming that the deceased had burnt herself.

“However, Adv Lawrence More led compelling testimony from nine witnesses, including three medical experts and the couple’s 16-year-old child.

“The court found the state witnesses credible and consistent, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The matter was postponed to November 6 for a pre-sentence report.

• Names have been withheld to protect the identity of the minor children.

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