A GAUTENG murderer who killed his lover and hid her body under his bed has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the South Gauteng High Court.
Samuel Sibeko had been in a relationship with Mathapelo Mbele when he killed her after an argument about her coming home drunk.
Sibeko of Vlakfontein told the court he had strangled Mbele until she fell to the ground and later tied her up by the legs and hands.
He left his shack and upon his return he discovered she had died.
He told family and friends who asked about Mbele’s whereabouts that she was job hunting and hid her under his bed in his shack while he stayed with a friend.
NPA Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said he had covered her body with a blanket and was staying with a friend while Mbele was missing.
“After the fifth day, he decided to bury the body underneath his bed as an attempt to hide the crime from his friends, family and the police.
“He continued sleeping over at his friend but would go over to his shack on weekends to check if the grave under his bed was not discovered,” she said.
After months of keeping the secret about Mbele's whereabouts, he came clean to a friend, before he eventually admitted to the crime to the police.
“He stated that on 4 August 2019 he could no longer live with what he has done and decided to tell a communal friend about the murder and the grave. Sibeko asked the friend to call the police and when they arrived he pointed out the grave,” said Mjonondwane.
He was handed a 20-year sentence for murdering Mbele and a further three years for defeating the ends of justice by hiding the dead woman's body under his bed.
State advocate Coleen Ryan had argued in court that violence against women had become a pervasive phenomenon.
“The killing of women by their partners has clearly become an epidemic and enormous social problem.”
“She further argued that this unconstitutional behaviour should no longer be tolerated,” said Mjonondwane. “Men must protect women. The court must impose a proper sentence. This was a gruesome murder.
“The accused did not take the court wholly into his confidence and therefore failed to show genuine remorse”, the judge said in handing down sentence.
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