Durban - A 29-year-old Mandeni man who strangled his lover to death, stole her car and dumped her body in a sugarcane field has been handed down a 30 year sentence in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Mlungisi Goodman ‘Sosha’ Mthembu was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Tholakele Maureen Sithole in January 2019 at Mandeni and 5 years imprisonment for the theft of her car.
According to evidence led in court, Mthembu and Sithole were in a relationship and at some point, he suspected her of having another affair.
On the day of the incident, he drove to her house and they argued for some time.
Later that evening, he strangled her and wrapped her body in a comforter.
He put her body into her car and drove to a sugarcane field where he dumped it.
The body was discovered three weeks later.
Natasha Kara, the regional spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in KZN said that after Sithole’s disappearance, a missing person’s case was opened and everyone who had interacted with her prior to her disappearance had to make statements to the police.
She said police became suspicious of Mthembu and subsequently arrested him after he contradicted himself in his statement.
The State Advocate, Dan Magwaza led the evidence of Mthembu’s friend who testified that Mthembu had confessed to him that he had killed Sithole and also he had asked him for assistance to dispose of the body.
“Further, Adv Magwaza led the evidence of a traditional healer who said that she had done a cleansing ceremony for Mthembu after he had dumped Sithole’s body. She also went with him to see a prospective buyer for Sithole’s car,” Kara said.
Mthembu was found guilty of murder and theft.
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