Mtwalume man sentenced to life for murder of girlfriend
The victim's father told the court that his daughter’s death had been deeply traumatic for the entire family.
The Scottburgh Regional Court sentenced Emmanuel Nthuthuko Sosibo (31) to life imprisonment on March 6 for the murder of his girlfriend, Mandisa Cele, in Mtwalume in July 2024.
Reports indicate Cele (who was from the Squngeni area in Umzinto) and Sosibo were in a relationship and had a child together.
On the day of the murder, Sosibo saw her in the company of another man at a beach in the Hibberdene area. When he approached them, the man walked away, leaving Cele with the accused.
“Sosibo confronted her and told her she should be at home with their minor child instead of being at the beach,” said Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson (KZN division).
“He believed that Cele was involved in a romantic relationship with the man, and later that day, the couple encountered each other again at a shebeen in the Mtwalume area.”
It is then believed that Sosibo confronted his partner again and told her to leave the shebeen.
“Cele left the establishment, but he followed her. When he caught up with her, he began assaulting her,” added Ramkisson-Kara.
Later that evening, a neighbour heard Cele crying from the room she shared with Sosibo, and he was shortly seen leaving the room and walking towards a nearby shop.
As per the police reports, the same neighbour went to check on the woman the next morning, and found her lying on the bed with multiple assault injuries, and a pool of blood inside the room.
Saps was contacted, and although Sosibo fled the area, he handed himself over to police four days later.
In court, prosecutor Active Njakazi led the testimony of the neighbour, as well as the police officers who responded to the scene and the investigating officer. The doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination also testified.
The state led the testimony of the Cele’s father, who told the court that his daughter’s death had been deeply traumatic for the entire family.
Aside from the Sosibo’s life imprisonment sentence, he was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter and remains committed to the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide.
The investigating officer was Detective Constable Vukani Nombika of Hibberdene Detective Service, and Ugu District police stated that this harsh sentence serves to emphasise the gravity of committing crimes against women, and the ongoing efforts made by law enforcement and the Department of Justice in bringing perpetrators to book.
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