The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, has sentenced 29-year-old Nelisiwe Twala to life imprisonment and 18 months for defeating the administration of justice.
Twala’s conviction follows the gruesome murder of Nonhlakanipho Lukhozi, 26, and kidnapping of Lukhozi’s child in 2019.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane, Twala was also handed an additional five years for kidnapping last week.
“The 29-year-old, who was in a relationship with co-perpetrator Xolani Mkhize, 45, was found guilty of attacking and killing Lukhozi at her Soweto home on June 10, 2019.
“Investigations revealed that Twala and Mkhize resided in the backroom of the main house, where the victim lived with her 3-month-old child.
“On that fateful morning, they entered the main house and brutally attacked Lukhozi, stabbing her multiple times with a knife and screwdriver. The vicious assault targeted her face, neck, head, torso and ribs.
“Twala also poured boiling water on the victim’s face before they stripped her naked, placed her lifeless body in a wheelie bin and discarded it in a nearby field.
“The duo then kidnapped Lukhozi’s 3-month-old child,” Mjonondwane explained.
During court proceedings, the court heard how Twala and Mkhize attempted to cover their tracks by cleaning the crime scene and removing Lukhozi’s belongings.
Later on the duo went and introduced the deceased’s child as Twala’s own at her parental home.
Twala’s heinous crimes were brought into the spotlight in 2019, when reports of the gruesome murder and subsequent kidnapping were extensively documented by the mainstream media.
She had been on the run after she learnt of Mkhize’s arrest.
Mkhize was arrested and convicted in 2019, while Twala evaded capture until October 5, 2022. Despite pleading not guilty initially, the evidence led to her conviction and sentencing.
In aggravation of sentence, senior State advocate Matshidiso Phatlanyane made a strategic decision to call the co-perpetrator as a State witness despite the risk that he might recant his previous testimony implicating Twala.
However, Mkhize reaffirmed his previous statements and further implicated Twala in the heinous crimes.
“Following her co-perpetrator’s testimony against her, Twala reversed her initial plea and entered a guilty plea, acknowledging her role in the heinous crimes.
“The court rejected Twala’s guilty plea, finding that she prioritised her own interests and tried to manipulate the court to avoid punishment.
“This case highlights the devastating consequences of gender-based violence and human trafficking.”
The Star