Agric boss beat wife to death

2008-05-06 21:49

Pretoria - A director in the Agriculture Department was convicted in the High Court on Tuesday of beating and killing his wife.

Acting Judge Tholi Vilakazi rejected David Linley Sonkosi's improbable and inconsistent claims that he had pushed his wife only once, and that she had hit her head against a wall.

Sonkosi's wife, Port Elizabeth teacher Pumla Mkatali, died in her house in Centurion in May 2005 as a result of injuries after her husband attacked her because he suspected her of infidelity.

The court accepted the evidence of Mkatali's cousin, who lived with the couple, that Sonkosi had repeatedly banged his wife's head and body against the floor before hitting her with a thick leather belt, threatening to beat her until she died.

Afterwards, she heard him talking to someone on the phone and saying "Pumla is no more". He also laughed and repeatedly asked if he had really killed her.

Repeated blows

Sonkosi lost his temper when his wife refused to give him her cellphone or to tell him who had accompanied her to a funeral or who was sending her text messages.

A pathologist testified that Mkatali's injuries were consistent with repeated blows not only to her head, but also to the rest of her body, which were not consistent with her accidentally banging her head on the floor.

Judge Vilakazi said he had not been impressed with Sonkosi's demeanour in the witness stand. Sonkosi had grinned, evaded questions and clearly adjusted his version as he went along.

The only inference was that Sonkosi had the intention to kill his wife because of her refusal to accede to his demands.

He had foreseen that she might die and had recklessly proceeded to attack her, said the judge.

Sonkosi is due to be sentenced on May 12.

- SAPA