Durban - The family of Tshegofatso Pule, who was murdered while she was eight months pregnant by her boyfriend, say they can now finally mourn for her, after two years of waiting for justice to be served.
The Johannesburg High Court on Friday sentenced Ntuthuko Shoba to life imprisonment for the murder of Pule and her unborn child.
Pule was killed by her boyfriend when he found out that she did not want to abort her pregnancy.
She was last seen at Shoba’s residence and was later found dead and hanging from a tree in Roodepoort, Johannesburg in June 2020.
Muzikayise Malephane, 31, who was hired by Shoba as a hitman was currently serving 20 years for Pule’s murder. Malephane, who turned state witness, confessed that Shoba had hired him to murder Pule and had offered him a R70 000 payment.
In March, the court found Shoba guilty of murdering Pule.
The family has since welcomed the sentencing, saying that they could finally mourn for Pule.
Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, family spokesperson, Pule’s uncle, Tumisang Katake said the family was “relieved”.
“As a family we are very relieved and now we can begin the process of mourning,” he said.
Katake, who represented Sandile Mantsoe as defence attorney in Karabo Mokoena’s murder case in 2018, said: “learning the trauma and pain that this case has brought to my own family, I will be distancing myself from defending GBV and femicide cases.”
Katake thanked the public for the continued support.
Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) said the life sentence handed to Shoba was a welcome step that signals the willingness of the judicial system to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
“The Commission for Gender Equality has been concerned with the long periods it takes the courts to finalise GBVF cases before them. Although we are pleased that justice has been served in the Pule murder case, the deceased’s family had to wait for two years for this conclusion,” said Baloyi.
He said the commission’s courts over the years have discovered mounting frustration as the justice system continues to be plagued by deeply embedded systemic constraints such as poor investigative capacity by the police.
“The Commission is aware of the laudable policies, procedures and legislative frameworks put in place by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to ensure an effective administration of justice. Yet these systemic constraints continue to undermine the policy intentions,” added Baloyi.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE