Members of Letlape’s family wept in court after the sentence was handed down.
Sibusiso Zitha has escaped a life sentence for the murder of his partner, celebrity chef Thembekile Letlape, known as the “Pastry Princess”.
On Friday, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg handed Zitha a 15-year prison term.
Letlape — the daughter of ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape — was fatally stabbed by Zitha at her residence in Fourways, Johannesburg, more than a year ago, in the presence of their 10-year-old child.
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The deadly incident unfolded in May 2024, during an argument while Letlape was preparing food.
Zitha later confessed to stabbing Letlape seven times with two knives. He was found guilty in July.
On Friday, the court ruled that a 15-year sentence was appropriate, noting that Zitha had admitted and shown remorse for the killing.
Members of Letlape’s family wept in court after the sentence was handed down.
Father testifies in Thembekile Letlape murder trial
On Thursday, Letlape’s father took the stand, telling the court that the family partly blamed themselves because they had been aware of the troubled nature of the couple’s relationship.
“I asked myself: what could we have done? We knew she loved him. She died for love.
“But what pains us most is that we saw the signs of trouble in the relationship, and what we ask ourselves is: could we have done more?” he said.
The ActionSA MP explained that the family had urged the chef to return home so she could receive support while working on their relationship.
“She was 38; she was an adult, so we couldn’t make decisions for her.
“But we could sit, advise her, and hope she would make the decision of coming back home and be supported.”
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He added that the family had treated Zitha as their own.
“I ask myself: what happened that night? Because we had opened our house to him.
“We thought he would be able to speak to us on any matter, and we would support and be able to look at the resolution of the issue.
“But what happened on that night is something that will stay with me and will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”
Sibusiso Zitha apologises
Zitha, who was sobbing, also took the stand in mitigation of sentence and to plead with the Letlape family for forgiveness.
The convicted murderer told the court he had been going through a difficult period in his life after both his marriage and the business he ran collapsed.
He explained that he had turned to heavy drug and alcohol use as a way of coping before ultimately returning to Johannesburg.
“I was not okay, and I knew I was not okay. So, when I met the deceased, I did mention this to her and said one of the reasons I loved her was that she accepted me as I was, and it shouldn’t have been the case.”
Zitha further testified that the incident occurred “in the heat of the moment”.
“On the night of the incident, it was two years deep.
“We had a fight, there was an exchange of unpleasant words about a sensitive topic that I am touchy on about my late parents, and I snapped.
“I couldn’t stop myself until I saw her body lying on the floor.”
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