A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally burning his 31-year-old ex-girlfriend in a shack in Zandspruit, Roodepoort.
Artwell Ndlovu was sentenced by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
His sentence comes after he poured petrol and burned the mother of his child, Vivian Ndebele, who later died from her injuries in hospital.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane, said Ndlovu was handed an additional 32-year sentence for other charges related to the incident, which will be served concurrently with the life sentence.
Mjonondwane explained that Ndlovu and Ndebele were in a romantic relationship and when it ended, she started seeing another man.
“Enraged by the breakup, Ndlovu bought petrol and went to her residence, where she lived with two others. He poured petrol over the shack and set it on fire while the victims were inside.
“Although Ndebele was rescued after screaming for help, she sustained severe burns and was taken to the hospital, where she tragically passed away on October 18, 2022,” said Mjonondwane.
Mjonondwane said Ndlovu was later apprehended by community members and handed over to the police.
He was also convicted of being in the country illegally.
When delivering the judgment, the court condemned Ndlovu’s illegal status and his blatant disregard for the country’s laws.
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