Assaulted and strangled with a rope, the death of Nwabisa Mgandela, who was found dead in a bathtub at her home in 2020, has left a huge gap in the lives of her kids and mother.
Mgandela’s husband Bhekukwanda Cele is believed to have ordered a group of men to torment her until she dies.
On Thursday, her mother’s prayers were finally answered when the Durban High Court found Cele guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mgandela and Cele’s marriage had deteriorated. As a result, Cele is said to have left their home to live elsewhere.
Mgandela remained in the house in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal with their children and a few weeks later, Cele returned in the company of unknown men.
NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the men beat Mgandela to a pulp and tied her to a bathtub, where she later died as a result of injuries she sustained.
“When they arrived, they moved her to the bathroom and placed her in a bathtub with one end of the ligature around her neck and the other tied to a rafter above a bathtub,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
“Cele then left with the men and was arrested the following day.”
State advocate Gugu Xulu maintained that at all times during the incident, Cele and his companions acted as a group in the execution of a common purpose.
Xulu furnished the court with victim impact statements compiled from Mgandela’s family which were facilitated by Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng, a court preparation officer.
In a statement, Mgandela’s family members said the incident has changed their lives and noted that it still hurts to live without her.
Mgandela’s mother said she trusted Cele to take care for her daughter, noting that she is still traumatised by the incident and misses her daughter.
She further said the family is fearful of Cele, a son-in-law they had trusted.
The NPA said curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is one of its key priorities.
“We commend the hard work done by the prosecution and SAPS [South African Police Service] in securing this conviction.”
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