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The Pretoria high court on Wednesday sentenced Jeremia Velly Ngondwe from Moholoka in Brits to life imprisonment for murdering his former girlfriend, Pracous Sphiwe Ndlovu, in 2022.
Ngondwe, 49, was also sentenced to 15 years each for two counts of attempted murder and five years for arson. The court ordered that all sentences run concurrently with the life sentence.
The court heard that Ndlovu, 35, was in a relationship with Ngondwe but Ndlovu ended the relationship because of domestic violence. Ngondwe assaulted her and did not stop even after she reported him to the community leadership and at the taxi rank where Ngondwe was employed as a taxi driver, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
On August 29 2022, Ngondwe set fire to the deceased’s business shack.
“He subsequently attempted to ignite Ndlovu’s house but a neighbour intervened and extinguished the flames. Unfazed, Ngondwe solicited a friend to break a window of Ndlovu’s home, intending to pour petrol inside to carry out his lethal plan. The friend refused but purchased five litres of petrol for Ngondwe.”
On the morning of October 2, Ngondwe returned to Ndlovu’s house and set it ablaze while she and her three children were sleeping inside.
“The children sustained minor injuries, while Ndlovu suffered severe burns while attempting to rescue them.”
Ngondwe was arrested the next day and he has remained in custody since the NPA successfully opposed his release on bail.
During the trial Ngondwe pleaded not guilty and claimed he was with another girlfriend at the time of the crime.
“However, prosecutor advocate Vongani Khosa effectively established the evidence against Ngondwe, which included circumstantial evidence directly linking him to the crime scene.”
TimesLIVE