A woman who killed her grandmother in December 2019, buried her in her backyard and used her bank and Sassa cards for personal gain was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.
The high court in Johannesburg also sentenced Nomaswazi Rachel Tshabalala, 31, to an additional 25 years for 24 counts of fraud, theft of the deceased's bank and Sassa cards, obstructing and defeating the administration of justice and statutory perjury.
The accused pleaded guilty and was convicted in August.
Tshabalala lived with Nomsa Hilda Tshabalala, in Mndeni, Soweto, and admitted that she was under the influence of drugs when she killed the elderly woman after an altercation.
In her plea explanation, the accused stated that she reported Nomsa missing on December 19 2019 at Naledi police station. She further stated that she started withdrawing funds from her grandmother's Nedbank and Sassa cards, from December 17 2019 until September 3 2020.
She was arrested on September 3 2020 .
“She was kept in custody and charged with fraud and theft, until a tenant discovered the remains of the deceased in June 2021.
“Nomsa's relatives had decided to rent out the house after the arrest and detention of the accused. The new tenant was busy cleaning the yard when he discovered Nomsa’s remains buried underneath a steel cabinet in the backyard,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
She said DNA profiling was conducted and matched Nomsa's.
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Tshimangadzo Xakaza argued that the murder was premeditated and added Thabalala dosed the elderly woman with petrol to conceal the crime.
“The accused had an opportunity to reconsider her decision after hitting her with the calabash on her head, leaving her unconscious but alive, but proceeded to strangle her with her bare hands”, she said.
TimesLIVE
Life for woman who killed granny, then buried her in her backyard in Soweto
Image: 123RF/albund
A woman who killed her grandmother in December 2019, buried her in her backyard and used her bank and Sassa cards for personal gain was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.
The high court in Johannesburg also sentenced Nomaswazi Rachel Tshabalala, 31, to an additional 25 years for 24 counts of fraud, theft of the deceased's bank and Sassa cards, obstructing and defeating the administration of justice and statutory perjury.
The accused pleaded guilty and was convicted in August.
Tshabalala lived with Nomsa Hilda Tshabalala, in Mndeni, Soweto, and admitted that she was under the influence of drugs when she killed the elderly woman after an altercation.
In her plea explanation, the accused stated that she reported Nomsa missing on December 19 2019 at Naledi police station. She further stated that she started withdrawing funds from her grandmother's Nedbank and Sassa cards, from December 17 2019 until September 3 2020.
She was arrested on September 3 2020 .
“She was kept in custody and charged with fraud and theft, until a tenant discovered the remains of the deceased in June 2021.
“Nomsa's relatives had decided to rent out the house after the arrest and detention of the accused. The new tenant was busy cleaning the yard when he discovered Nomsa’s remains buried underneath a steel cabinet in the backyard,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
She said DNA profiling was conducted and matched Nomsa's.
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Tshimangadzo Xakaza argued that the murder was premeditated and added Thabalala dosed the elderly woman with petrol to conceal the crime.
“The accused had an opportunity to reconsider her decision after hitting her with the calabash on her head, leaving her unconscious but alive, but proceeded to strangle her with her bare hands”, she said.
TimesLIVE
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