Mbombela - An Mpumalanga man convicted of killing his wife after suspecting her of cheating was handed a 10-year jail sentence on Wednesday.
Raymond Fanny Mathebula, 27, of Mahushu Trust outside Hazyview, was arrested on April 28, 2012, for the murder of Bongiwe Magagula, 24.
He pleaded guilty to a murder charge when he appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court, saying he did not intend to kill his wife, a Sapa correspondent reported.
He kicked his wife to death on April 27, 2012, in front of their five-year-old son at their home.
When passing sentence, magistrate Andre Geldenhuys said after reading three reports from social workers, provincial correctional services officers and the SA National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro), they all differed in their opinions of appropriate sentences.
Geldenhuys said the accused, who grew up in a stable family, took the life of a defenceless woman just because of jealousy.
“I agree with the State to (sentence) you to direct imprisonment. Many defenceless women in the country are being killed by their jealous husbands.
“The courts need to send a stronger message to other would-be offenders that this will not be tolerated,” he said.
Geldenhuys said the accused's son, who testified about what he saw, would never forget his mother's murder.
“What he saw happening to his mother will remain in his mind for the rest of his life,” he said.
Sapa