Murder suspect faces the wrath of a justice system

A year and almost six months have passed since the cruel death of Tshililo Tiny Musundwa and only now that the murderer has been found guilty can her family find closure.

On Monday, the Thohoyandou High Court found that Ndivhudza Nemabaka was guilty of this gruesome murder. Nemabaka was expected to be sentenced by Judge Khami Makhafola on Wednesday afternoon.

The mother of two was brutally killed by her boyfriend at her home in Tsianda in 2017.

During the prosecutor’s final cross-examination at the High Court on Monday, Nemabaka maintained that he could not say anything regarding the incident.

“There is nothing I can say about the passing away of the deceased, because I don’t know anything about it,” he told the court. He added that he regretted meeting the deceased, whom he had dated for six months before the incident. “If I didn’t date her, I wouldn’t find myself in this mess, standing before this court and facing the trial,” he said.

Nemabaka, who was previously sentenced to six months in prison for assault to cause grievous bodily harm, arrived at the deceased’s home back in 2017 at around 19:00 on the day of the murder and did not find her. When he returned later and found her, he started an argument as he wanted to know why she had not been around when he first arrived. He then smashed his victim’s head against the concrete floor until she was unconscious.

The deceased’s elder sister, Ms Emma Mbewe, said they could now finally find closure. She had been attending the court proceedings since they started in the Vuwani Magistrate’s Court. The case was subsequently moved to the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court and then to the Thohoyandou High Court.

“Coming to court reminded us every day of how our beloved sister was killed. Yes, we can’t bring her back, but we are happy that justice has been served and that it will serve as a lesson to other people as well,” she said.

Ms Mbewe said although it had taken time, it mattered at the end that justice had been served. She said the deceased’s two children were still struggling to accept that their mother was no more. “The children are still traumatised; they don’t go out at night,” she said.

News - Date: 31 March 2019

Phathutshedzo Luvhengo

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