A woman (34) has been convicted to four life imprisonment sentences at South Gauteng High Court on 25 January.
This comes after four people died when a makeshift building at Marlboro South Industrial area was set alight by the woman.
According to the spokesperson for the Bramley Police Station, Captain Molefe Mogodi, the 34-year-old woman set fire to the makeshift building in the middle of the night on 6 April last year.
Mogodi explained that there were people in the shack at the time and four of them died as the shack was burning. “The woman then disappeared without anyone noticing her. The police were called to the crime scene. The investigation was conducted and, with the help of emergency services, it came to light that petrol was used to burn the shack down.”
Mogodi explained that the matter was then assigned to Bramley detectives for investigation. “The investigation led the detectives to a woman who was responsible for causing the fire. It was found that the accused was trying to get rid of the other woman whom she accused of being in love with her man.
“She was subsequently arrested during the preliminary investigation.”
Mogodi stated that South Gauteng High Court convicted and sentenced the accused, Vanessa Mpho Sidimela as follows:
- Count 1: Arson, five years in jail
- Count 2: Murder, life imprisonment
- Count 3: Murder, life imprisonment
- Count 4: Murder, life imprisonment
- Count 5: Murder, life imprisonment.
The Court ruled that counts 1, 3, 4 and 5 will run concurrently with Count 2.
Head of the detectives at Bramley Police Station, Lieutenant Colonel Nobela shared satisfaction with the outcome of the case. He said to the members, ‘The pride of every crime investigator is the conviction. The outcome of this matter is a victory to the families as well as to the police.”
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Related article:
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/189765/residents-meet-new-bramley-police-station-commander/
