Life sentence for Umzinto man who murdered girlfriend in brutal attack

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence of life imprisonment imposed by the Scottburgh Regional Court on Phumlani Myende (30) for the murder of his partner, Cynthia Goba, in March 2025 in the Malangeni area of Umzinto.

Evidence before the court established that Myende and the deceased were in a romantic relationship and lived together.

Before the incident, Myende went to a local tavern where he found the deceased in the company of two other men. He became angry and confronted her, accusing her of failing to do his washing.

The two men intervened and urged him to calm down. Thereafter, the four continued drinking together.

At some stage, the two men left the tavern. However, when one of them returned at closing time, he found Myende brutally assaulting the deceased by punching her and repeatedly trampling on her head.

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When the witness attempted to intervene, Myende produced a knife and threatened to stab him. The witness left and returned with another man who had been in their company earlier. They found that Myende was still assaulting the deceased, who was lying motionless on the ground.

The men informed Myende that they intended to call the police. In response, he lifted the deceased and carried her away, stating that they were going home.

The witnesses subsequently returned to their homes and only learnt of the deceased’s death the following day when Myende was arrested at his homestead.

Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “During the trial, Prosecutor Akhile Gcume presented the evidence of several witnesses. The two men who had been in the company of Myende and the deceased testified about the assault they had witnessed. Another witness testified that, in the early hours of March 18, 2025, Myende knocked on her door and informed her that he had killed his girlfriend. She accompanied him to where the deceased was lying before alerting other community members. A further witness testified that at approximately 11pm on March 17, 2025, Myende approached him seeking assistance to carry his girlfriend home. Myende claimed that the deceased was intoxicated and unable to walk. Upon arriving at the scene, the witness discovered that the deceased was cold to the touch and had no pulse. He informed Myende that she had passed away and left the scene.”

The state also handed in the post-mortem report, which corroborated the fatal injuries sustained by the deceased.

In aggravation of sentence, Advocate Gcume submitted a victim impact statement compiled with the assistance of court preparation officer, Nokukhanya Mkhize. The statement, prepared by the deceased’s family, detailed the profound trauma, grief, and emotional devastation they have endured since her death. The family described their ongoing struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved one.

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After considering all the evidence before it, the court found that the murder constituted a serious act of gender-based violence and femicide, warranting the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment. In addition to the life sentence, Myende was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“The sentence sends a strong message that violence against women will not be tolerated and that perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide will face the full might of the law. It also reflects the criminal justice system’s commitment to ensuring accountability for offenders and justice for victims and their families. Curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains an organisational priority for the NPA. Together with our partners in the justice, crime prevention and security cluster, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted successfully and that victims and their families receive justice,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.