A 36-year-old woman, Ramatsela Ramushu, has been jailed for the brutal murder of her boyfriend in Mooikloof Ridge, Pretoria East, South Africa.
The Pretoria High Court on Thursday, September 21, 2023, sentenced Ramushu (pictured in court) to one life term, for premeditated the murder of Mthetheleli Gwanya, and 2 years of direct imprisonment for defeating the ends of justice.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, in a statement on Thursday, said Ramushu attempted suicide after killing the deceased.
“A week before Ramushu killed the deceased, she discovered that the deceased had a girlfriend and two children she was not aware of. After the discovery, she invited the deceased over to her place at Mooikloof Ridge,” the statement read.
“On the morning of 31 April 2021, Ramushu prepared breakfast for the two of them and purred sleeping pills in the deceased drink. The deceased became drowsy, and it was at that point that Ramushu handcuffed him, poured boiling water on him, and assaulted him several times with an axe on his neck until he died. After, she wrapped his body with a blanket and left it in her garage. After cleaning the scene, she tried to commit suicide by drinking patrol and fled the scene with the deceased’s car
“However, she was later found unconscious inside the stationed vehicle at Grasfontein Road, by the metro police and the paramedics who took her to Steve Biko Hospital
“On the same day, a missing person’s report was opened at Boschkop police station, by the long-term girlfriend after the deceased did not arrive to pick her up and his children
“When Ramushu regained consciousness at the hospital, she contacted her family members requesting them to go to her place of residence with the police, where they found the body of the deceased body in her garage. Ramushu was arrested the same day at the hospital,”
In court, she pleaded not guilty to the charges and told the court that it was an accident. When she took the stand during mitigation, she read into the record a letter apologising to the deceased, his family, and her family.
Through her legal representative, she asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. However, prosecutor Advocate Andre Wilsenach, told the court that life imprisonment was the appropriate sentence because Ramushu showed no true remorse for her actions, and did not tell the court why she committed the offence.
Moreover, Ramushu gave the court a lot of untruthful evidence. Adv Wilsenach also handed in Victim Impact Statements (VIS) compiled by the court preparation officer, Lebohang Lebese, where the deceased’s sister, brother, and long-term girlfriend expressed how the death of Gwanya affected them emotionally and psychologically.
When handing down judgment Judge Papi Masopa, said Ramushu had no respect for the right to life, the deceased died a painful death in her hands.
“Not only did she not have respect for life, but she also did not respect the deceased’s right to privacy because when the deceased was found he was half naked he added.
Furthermore, the deceased’s children are now going to grow up without a father because of Ramushu’s actions.
Therefore, the judge said he found that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence and found that Ramushu was a pathetic liar who did not take responsibility for her actions.
