‘A child’s mother can never be replaced’ – Judge Strydom

Tsietse Sikade stabbed Oumanyana Mittah Peteni fifteen times in Ikageng on that fateful Sunday. Judge Kobus Strydom found him guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced him life in prison and another three months for assaulting the neighbour.

When passing the sentence, Strydom said this was the most callous, cruel and brutal killing in light of the summary of the injuries. ‘There were multiple stab wounds on the body. This was motivated by revenge,’ emphasising that murder is a serious offence countrywide.

‘Domestic violence is rife in our society. Hardly a day passes without a report in the media about violence against women and children killed with a knife or firearm. The deceased’s child is now left without his mother. A mother is the most important individual in a child’s life. A child’s mother can never be replaced,” he said.

During the trial, the court heard how the accused ran after Oumanyana while she was screaming. She went to the neighbour to seek help. They had a conversation for few minutes before he snapped and stabbed her fifteen times. He assaulted the neighbour who was trying to stop him, before stabbing himself. He then ran away from the murder scene.

According to the witnesses in court, the accused could not accept that the deceased had ended the relationship.

In his mitigating arguments, the defence advocate, Jan Ellis, said this was not premeditation that had taken some time, it was a spur of the moment situation.

‘All people make mistakes; some make bigger mistakes than others. We must accept that some people cannot handle confrontation as well as others,’ he added. He emphasised the accused emotional state of mind at the time and appealed to the judge not to impose a prescribed sentence.

‘Punishment is not to break the offender, but to rehabilitate him,’ he argued.

The state prosecutor, advocate Moeng Molatudi said the aggravating circumstances far outweigh the mitigating circumstances, pointing out how the crime had affected the family. He brushed off the fact that the accused had lost his employment and that there was provocation, arguing that these were traditional arguments in any court case.

‘The manner in which the woman died was brutal. When thinking about the number of stab wounds, one can imagine the slow agonising pain she went through. The accused could have stopped at some point, but did not,” he argued.

The mother of the deceased, Selina Boniswa Kalipa was overjoyed at the sentence and felt the judge had imposed a proper sentence. She now has to support her daughter’s 5-year-old son, Vuyo. She described her daughter as cheerful, respectful and a non-violent person.