Humbulani Steven Nethengwe brutally murdered his girlfriend in the presence of her two children.
A Limpopo man has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for hacking his girlfriend to death with an axe in April 2024.
Humbulani Steven Nethengwe, 40, was sentenced for the murder of Khethani Mudau by the Musina Regional Court and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
He reportedly killed Mudau in the presence of her two children.
Nethengwe had pleaded guilty to the charge and confirmed that he was in a romantic relationship with Mudau.
They had been living together at the time of the murder.
Argument over infidelity claims
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provincial spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said a verbal altercation about infidelity between the couple turned fatal when Nethengwe physically attacked Mudau.
“During the confrontation, he assaulted the deceased and then brutally killed her with an axe,” Malabi-Dzhangi said in a statement.
Nethengwe then fled the scene with the murder weapon and only handed himself over to the police six days later.
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Nethengwe’s sentencing
He had initially chosen to represent himself, but later applied for Legal Aid due to the overwhelming evidence against him.
“In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor Jan Krijt argued that the crime was heinous and warranted the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
“He highlighted the trauma inflicted on the deceased’s two minor children, who witnessed the brutal killing of their mother.”
Stance against GBV
The State further emphasised the high prevalence of gender-based violence in the area and urged the court not to deviate from the minimum sentence.
Despite the state’s submissions, the court imposed a sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the NPA welcomed the sentence, which reflects the justice system’s strong stance against gender-based and domestic violence.
“It sends a clear message that such acts of brutality will not be tolerated.”
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