A woman was granted R1 000 bail in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on August 18, facing charges of murder after allegedly stabbing and killing her boyfriend.

During proceedings, it was noted that the accused is pregnant with her fifth child and is the sole caretaker of her other four children, who are minors.

According to state prosecutor Mahlatse Makopo, a possible state witness had spoken to the accused the day before the murder occurred, discussing the deceased.

“The witness stated that she warned the defendant not to do something stupid,” Makopo said.

The following day, the accused allegedly confronted the deceased, who reportedly started attacking her.

“I acted in self-defence,” the defendant said in her affidavit.

Presiding magistrate Thabo Mapope noted that, other than this statement, no other evidence of self-defence was provided by the defence.

According to the accused’s affidavit, the deceased had come to her home, pulled her out of bed, and strangled her from behind, prompting her to stab him. The court pointed out that the woman already had a knife in her possession at the time.

“There is no reasonable doubt in this case, only face value. There is a case to answer here,” Mapope said.

During the state’s argument, it was revealed that the accused had received money from the deceased each month as a “girlfriend allowance.”

However, the payments had stopped, prompting the accused to allegedly launch her own investigation into his affairs.

“During her investigation, she allegedly saw images of a woman on his WhatsApp status, which triggered a jealous response. The accused indicated her intent to ‘bury the deceased’ prior to the murder, showing that it was premeditated,” Makopo stated.

Magistrate Mapope likened the case to an episode of the popular soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful.

“This case is a prime example of gender-based violence,” he said. He explained that gender-based violence does not only reflect on one gender but can also involve situations where women abuse men.

“Murder has become prevalent in Lekwa, where someone is murdered each week,” Mapope added.

He granted the woman bail on humanitarian grounds, citing her responsibility for her four children and the impact on them if she remained in custody.