A police officer has been handed a 20-year jail sentence after a shocking acid attack that claimed the life of her partner, leaving South Africans reeling from yet another case of intimate partner violence.
Courtney Badrodien Mandela, 30, appeared in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division in Johannesburg, where she was convicted of murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The presiding judge sentenced her to 15 years for the murder of Nomalungelo Khumalo. She got an additional five years for assault, with the sentences ordered to run consecutively.
Attacked during heated argument
The tragedy unfolded on February 27 2023 after Mandela and Khumalo returned home from a party with a friend. According to evidence before the court, an argument broke out between the couple. And in a fit of rage, Mandela threw acid on Khumalo.
The corrosive substance caused horrific burn wounds, leaving Khumalo fighting for her life. The friend, who had fallen asleep on a couch nearby, was also injured during the attack.
Khumalo was rushed to hospital but succumbed to complications from her injuries a few days later. She died on on March 3 2023.
Investigations further revealed that Mandela tried to conceal the crime by discarding the acid container. She also removed the couch that had been damaged during the incident. Her attempts to evade accountability failed, and she was later arrested after a warrant was issued.
Victim impact statement
During sentencing proceedings, senior State Advocate Rachel Kau called Khumalo’s mother to testify. The grieving mother described the anguish of watching her daughter’s body ravaged by the burns. Her testimony left the court visibly shaken. Advocate Kau argued that Mandela was the aggressor, and that her conduct showed no regard for human life.
Mandela’s defence had asked the court to impose a lighter sentence of five years under correctional supervision. But this was rejected. The judge ruled that the crime was too brutal and the loss of life too severe for such leniency.
Welcoming the ruling, NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the outcome reinforced the justice system’s commitment to tackling gender-based violence.
“The killing of women by their intimate partners can never be normalised. Perpetrators of such heinous acts must face the full might of the law,” Mjonondwane said.
The case has once again put the spotlight on the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa. The NPA has vowed to continue pursuing justice for victims and their families.
