The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the 18-year sentence handed down to a 47-year-old woman, who pleaded guilty to the murder of her four-year-old daughter.
The incident occurred in April 2022 in the Ballito area, north of Durban.
In her plea in the KwaDukuza Regional Court, the woman told the court that she was suffering from depression and her intention was to take her own life but felt she could not leave her daughter behind.
She drowned the little girl in a bucket of water and attempted to take her own life by taking sleeping tablets.
NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says, “The woman was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and she was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the finalisation of this matter. It is our mandate to pursue justice on behalf of the victims of crime.”
Cross-border crime prosecution
Meanwhile, a man involved in cross-border crime has been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment by the Mtubatuba High Court in the province.
Thirty-seven-year-old Sipho Mhlanga was found guilty on four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, four counts of kidnapping and unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.
The court heard that between December 2022 and August 2023, Mhlanga was part of a syndicate that targeted people who owned four-by-four vehicles.
They would hijack the victims and take them to a secluded spot in Emanguzi.
The vehicles were taken to Mozambique for sale.
Ramkisson-Kara says, “In addition to the sentence, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The NPA applauds this successful prosecution and we commend the work done through the fruitful collaboration between the prosecution, the Emanguzi Cross Border Presidential Task Team, the SAPS and other stakeholders.”
VIDEO | Battling cross-border crime in KwaZulu-Natal:
