A KwaZulu-Natal man accused of killing his wife with a bush knife following an argument in October, has pleaded guilty to her gruesome murder.
A Pietermaritzburg High Court judge sentenced Bongani Maxwell Ncube to life imprisonment for the murder of Nokuthula Ntsalaze.
The couple had been married since 2016, and the court heard that their marriage was abusive, to the point where Ntsalaze had obtained a protection order in August, following physical abuse incidents.
In addition, the court heard that the couple was on the brink of filing for divorce.
This week, in a Section 105A plea and sentence agreement handed to the court by his attorney, Mzothando Tengwa, Ncube said he was truly remorseful and took full responsibility for the events leading up to his wife’s death on October 31.
The security guard said on the day of his wife’s death, they had an argument.
Already sleeping in different bedrooms, Ncube said his wife demanded that he leave their matrimonial home, as she did not want him there.
He said he refused, and his wife began throwing his clothes on the floor.
Ncube said he told his wife that he would not leave the home unless he was dead.
“The deceased (Nokuthula Ntsalaze) was angry and (she) then pulled a bush knife that was under the bed.”
He said he took the bush knife from his wife and struck her several times, causing injuries to her head and neck.
The victim died instantly, and post-mortem results revealed she died of head injuries.
Following the gruesome murder, Ncube said he locked the house and left.
He told his family what occurred, and they found the body of the victim.
On October 31, Ncube was arrested at a relative’s homestead in Ndwedwe.
He did a pointing out of the weapon to police.
Judge Radebe found that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from life imprisonment.
She sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and did not accept 25 years imprisonment as per 105A plea and sentence agreement.
The State was represented by Senior State advocate Julius Khathi.
IOL News