Long jail term for young woman who stabbed, shot cop lover

A Gauteng woman who stabbed her policeman boyfriend to death, shot him in the head with his service pistol then left his body in their house to spend the night at her other lover’s place has been handed 20 years for his murder.

Bongiwe Praise Magwaza, 23, who was convicted of murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition as well as defeating the ends of justice, was handed the sentence on Wednesday at the Johannesburg high court.

She was handed 20 years for murder, seven years for the unlawful possession of a firearm, five years for the unlawful possession of ammunition and seven years for defeating the ends of justice. She was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Gauteng Hawks spokesperson W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela said, Magwaza and her boyfriend Sgt Kgopotso Ntsana, 36, had an argument at their house in Leomakalapa next to Windmill Park Estate in Boksburg on December 2, 2022.

She said the argument escalated to a scuffle, which resulted in Magwaza stabbing Ntsana multiple times with a pair of scissors. “Magwaza then took the deceased’s firearm from where it was kept and shot him on his head at point-blank range. She then placed the firearm next to the deceased in an effort to make it seem like he had died by suicide,” said Mavimbela.

“She left the place of residence and spent a night at her other boyfriend’s place in Germiston. On her return to the house the next day, she informed the neighbours that her boyfriend apparently killed himself. Authorities were alerted and attended to the scene.”

Mavimebela said an inquest docket was registered at Dawn Park police station pending preliminary investigation. She said blood spatter experts and photographers were called to examine the scene. 

“At this stage, Magwaza was in detention at Boksburg police cells for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), while the probe was ongoing. She told the police she stabbed Ntsana in self-defence, and that he then killed himself. The case was not placed on the court roll on December 6, 2022, owing to insufficient evidence,” she said.

However, a forensic factual report ruled out suicide as the cause of death due to inconsistencies discovered after the crime scene was reconstructed.

An investigator then picked up Magwaza from the cells before she could be released. “Magwaza was charged with murder, she appeared in the Boksburg Magistrate’s on Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

“They eventually granted her R1,000 bail in January 2023 following numerous appearances. The bail was revoked on November 22, 2023, and she was referred to Sterkfotein for mental evaluation after she started acting erratic.”

Magwaza was, however, declared fit to stand trial and was in custody during the trial until it ended.

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