Man receives life imprisonment for butchering wife with bush knife
In court, the senior state advocate, Julius Khathi handed in victim impact statements compiled by the deceased’s family members and facilitated by the court preparation officer, Mbalenhle Komane.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court sentenced Bongani Maxwell Ncube (47) to a term of life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife in October 2023.
Ncube and his wife, Nokuthula Ntsalaze (the deceased) were married since 2016 and their relationship was an abusive one, to the extent that the deceased obtained a protection order against him in August last year.
The couple were going through divorce proceedings but were still living together at their marital home in Copesville.
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Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson Kara, said, “On October 31, 2023, an argument broke out between them, and the deceased pulled out a bush knife from under the bed. In his plea, Ncube said that he dispossessed her off the bush knife and being angry with her, he used the bush knife to assault her several times on her head and neck. She died instantly with her cause of death being head injuries. Ncube then left the body in the house, locked the door, and fled to the Ndwedwe area. From there he contacted his family members, telling them what he had done and where to find the deceased’s body. He subsequently confessed to the murder and did a pointing out of where the murder weapon was.”
In court, the senior state advocate, Julius Khathi handed in victim impact statements compiled by the deceased’s family members and facilitated by the court preparation officer, Mbalenhle Komane.
In their statements, they said that they are deeply saddened by the loss, and no one can fill the void left by the deceased. She was their pillar of strength.
“Ncube had entered a Section 105A plea and sentence agreement with the state, wherein the agreed sentence was 25 years imprisonment based on substantial and compelling circumstances set out to support the deviation from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment,” explained Ramkisson-Kara.
However, during court proceedings, the presiding judge found that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
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“The judge sentenced Ncube to life imprisonment and did not accept 25 years imprisonment as per the 105A plea and sentence agreement,” she continued. The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the successful finalisation of this matter.
“It is our mandate to prosecute and get justice for all, especially those belonging to vulnerable groups. We hope that this sentence will deter like-minded individuals and we commend the work done by the prosecution and SAPS,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
