A South African police constable, Mthokozisi Gregory Nene, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Nompilo Thobeka Nene.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court found Nene guilty of killing his wife in July 2022. The couple had been in a troubled marriage, and the incident occurred after Nene brought his girlfriend to their home.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Nene shot his wife in the face with a high-caliber weapon during an altercation. He was arrested the following day.
In court, the state presented evidence from an eyewitness and victim impact statements from Nompilo’s family. The court sentenced Nene to 25 years in prison, exceeding the minimum prescribed sentence of 15 years for murder.
The statement read: “The couple were in an acrimonious marriage. On the day of the incident, the accused brought his girlfriend over to the matrimonial home.
“The deceased confronted him about this, leading to an altercation which resulted in the accused fatally shooting the deceased in the face with a high calibre weapon. The deceased d!ed on the scene and the accused was arrested the following day.
“In court, the state presented the evidence, including the testimony of an eyewitness. The state furthermore handed in Victim Impact Statements, compiled by the deceased’s family and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Princess Ntombi Khumalo.
“Their statements described the deceased as somebody who was dynamic and who served both the community and her family. They further described how they have been adversely affected by the incident and that they now live in fear.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the accused was convicted of murder in terms of Section 51 (2) of the Minimum Sentences Act 105 of 1997, in other words, murder committed in circumstances where it is not premeditated and therefore attracts a minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, the court nevertheless sentenced the accused to 25 years imprisonment – 10 years more than the minimum prescribed sentence.
“The court was of the view that the aggravating circumstances, including the fact that the accused was a serving Police official and that the matter fell within the ambit of Gender-Based Violence and intimate partner femicide, warranted a robust sentence.
“In addition to the term of imprisonment, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm. This matter was successfully prosecuted by Advocate Melumzi Gula and Advocate Lauren Marais-Myeni.
“The NPA applauds the successful prosecution and commends the work done by the Prosecution team and Police. Together with our partners in the crime prevention cluster, we remain committed to the fight against GBV and intimate-partner femicide.”
