'I didn't want to lose him': Woman gets life for drunken stabbing of boyfriend

A Springs woman who plotted and brutally murdered her partner in a jealous rage will spend the rest of her life behind bars after the court slammed the door on any hope of mercy.

The Springs Magistrate's Court has sentenced Nonsumbuluko Majola, 39, to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of her partner, Mojalefa Sefali who was also 39 years old.

The killing described as cold, calculated and fuelled by anger. The court also declared Majola unfit to possess a firearm.

"The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence of life imprisonment," said spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana.

The court heard that on June 13, 2024, Majola and a male accomplice went to Sefali's home in Springs, where the trio drank alcohol together.

Once Sefali was intoxicated, Majola allegedly instructed her accomplice to restrain him before she stabbed him repeatedly with a scissor and a kitchen knife.

She then left him to bleed to death.

The pair fled the scene, abandoning Sefali as he succumbed to his injuries.

Later that day, worried community members discovered his body and alerted police.

A neighbour later told investigators that Majola and her accomplice had been seen at the house on the day of the killing. Majola was arrested at her home on June 29, 2024.

In court, Majola pleaded guilty, claiming jealousy after discovering Sefali had another girlfriend and insisting, she did not want to lose him.

Her lawyer asked the court to show mercy, arguing she was a first-time offender, a mother of two and had shown remorse.

The State rejected this outright, arguing the murder was vicious and prevalent in the area, and that Majola had robbed Sefali of his right to life.

Handing down sentence, the Magistrate agreed with the prosecution, finding Majola was not genuinely remorseful and that her guilty plea did nothing to soften the brutality of the crime.

The court ruled there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a lesser sentence.

Mahanjana said the case underscored the NPA's hard line on violent crime.

"The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence and accordingly imposed life imprisonment."

She added that the judgment reflected the broader crisis of violent crime gripping the country.

The offence formed part of the broader context of South Africa's high levels of murder, gender-based violence, and violent crime.”

Gauteng Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren praised the prosecutor and investigating officer for securing justice, expressing hope that the sentence would bring some comfort to Sefali's grieving family.

IOL News