Buzzapp Master The Mthatha high court on Wednesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend.
The court also sentenced Bantubenkosi Siqotyana to an additional three years for defeating the ends of justice by cutting up Nombeko Thobigunya’s body and throwing the pieces into multiple pit toilets to conceal the murder.
Thobigunya was reported missing by her family on December 13 last year. She had last been seen in the company of Siqotyana 12 days earlier.
“A human hand was discovered being eaten by a dog in the village of Thembeni in the district of Libode.
“The deceased’s friend identified the hand with nail polish she had applied before her disappearance, and that led community members to the boyfriend, Siqotyana,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tylai.
He said the community members severely assaulted him before he led them to the different locations where he had dumped her body parts.
Police were summoned and the accused made admissions and pointed out the remains at multiple pit toilets in the area.
At the beginning of the trial, Siqotyana tendered a not guilty plea on the charge of murder and defeating the ends of justice but pleaded guilty to the charge of violating a corpse.
“He claimed that the deceased had died from food poisoning and he decided to cut the body into pieces because he feared the community would believe that he had killed Thobigunya.”
TimesLIVE
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings