The KwaMhlanga Regional Court has convicted and sentenced Gladstone Sipho Mahlangu, 43, to 20 years of direct imprisonment for the murder of his fiancée Siphiwe Mavis Mokoena, and attempted murder of her other boyfriend.
Mahlangu had paid lobola to Mokoena’s family, and the two had two children, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
“On February 24, 2019, the accused (Mahlangu) went to the deceased’s house at Thembalethu, KwaMhlanga and found his fiancée with another man in the room sitting on the bed. An altercation between the accused and the deceased ensued, as the accused wanted to know who the man was,” said Monica Nyuswa, Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson for the NPA.
She said Mahlangu then took out his firearm and fatally shot his fiancée in the head.
“He then fired shots at the complainant (the other boyfriend) causing injuries on his ribs, shoulder, and hands,” said Nyuswa.
Mahlangu was subsequently arrested.
During trial, he told the court that he had accidentally shot his fiancée and had acted in self-defence when he shot the other man.
State prosecutor, Bianca Harmse led evidence of the complainant, as well as that of an eyewitness who saw the shooting taking place.
The NPA said post-mortem reports, showing numerous wounds to the deceased and J88 forms confirming life-threatening injuries inflicted on the survivor were exhibited.
Mahlangu was found guilty as charged.
Harmse told the court that Mahlangu’s version should be rejected, due to the overwhelming evidence presented by the State which showed that Mahlangu had intentionally shot the woman, and he was not in any danger when he shot the other boyfriend.
The State then requested the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence on the murder charge, as there were no substantial or compelling circumstances presented during the trial.
The murdered woman’s father testified in aggravation of sentence, telling the court that losing his daughter had negatively affected the whole family.
The deceased woman’s father said the family now has the burden of taking care of the slain woman’s children.
The father told the court that he would never forgive Mahlangu for what he did to his daughter.
In the end, the court sentenced Mahlangu to 15 years imprisonment for murder and an additional five years for attempted murder.
Mahlangu was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence, adding that it will continue to pursue justice for victims of sexual offences, gender-based violence and femicide.
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