The High Court in Mpumalanga convicted and sentenced 27-year-old Simo Thabethe from Elukwatini to two life terms for rape and murder of 15-year-old girl Nomcebo Thandiwe Khumalo. Thabethe and the deceased teenage girl met on Facebook and became “friends” for three months.
Monica Nyuswa, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Mpumalanga said in December 17, 2020, Thabethe and Nomcebo arranged to meet in person, and the teenager got to see her alleged killer “when she was sent to a local shop to buy some hair dye”.
“On her way to the shop, they met and the accused requested that they move to a secluded area, where they can have a private conversation, which the deceased resisted. He then grabbed her and dragged her into the nearby forest and raped her. During the process, the accused broke her neck which led to the death of the deceased,” Nyuswa said.
“He further stole cellphone and cash amount of R57 and fled the scene. The accused was arrested four months after the incident happened. This was after the discovery of the deceased’s cellphone which he gave to his brother.”
Thabethe pleaded guilty to all counts three counts and was convicted of murder, rape and theft. For the state, Advocate Eugene Mathebula presented a photo album of the crime scene, which depicted the gruesome injuries the teenage girl sustained when the violent offence was committed.
“Mathembula further led evidence of the deceased’s mother, who testified in aggregation of sentence and the impact it has caused the family. Judge Roelofse sentenced [Thabethe] to life imprisonment for rape, life for murder and 24 months for theft,” said Nyuswa.
Source: IOL, News365, image from IOL: Barry Bateman