- An Eastern Cape man will spend life in jail for murdering his ex-girlfriend and wounding her new boyfriend.
- In 2018, after several threats, he went to her home, where he shot her in the chest and head, killing her.
- A struggle ensued with her new boyfriend, resulting in him being shot in the leg.
An Eastern Cape man was sentenced to life plus 10 years' imprisonment by the Peddie Regional Court on Monday for the murder of his former girlfriend and for attempting to murder her new boyfriend.
Masonwabe Njarha, 32, refused to accept that Hombakazi Gaga had ended their relationship and soon thereafter became involved with Masibulele Gamgam in September 2017, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani.
He continued to force himself into her life and started calling and sending Gaga messages threatening to kill her.
This intensified and she reported the matter to the police. The last message in which Njarha threatened to kill Gaga was sent in January 2018.
Ngcakani said:
The prosecutor in the case Mzameli Koliwe told the
court these crimes were not only gruesome but heinous.
"Threats made by the accused before taking her life meant that, when he ultimately took the decision to kill her, he wanted it to be in broad daylight for everybody to see. He went to her home armed with his licensed firearm and carried out his plan. The deceased was shot [in] her head while she was helplessly lying down," he said.
East London cluster chief public prosecutor Nombeko Ngxande said: "The hard work by the prosecutor and the investigating team is commendable. This is a positive blow against gender-based violence."
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