The Mqanduli regional court in Eastern Cape on Tuesday sentenced 30-year-old Masonwabe Dlulani to 25 years in jail for killing his wife.
Earlier during trial, Dlulani pleaded not guilty to killing 27-year-old Baliswa Magxagxa. He changed his tune later when two witnesses implicated him.
The convicted murderer, who was employed as a mine worker at the time of his arrest, admitted in court that he hired and paid a hitman, Gcobani Msebenzini, to kill Magxagxa.
He told the court that he had planned to take a second wife but Magxagxa objected, resulting in him plotting to have her murdered.
Magxagxa, a mother to two children, was shot and killed by an “intruder” inside her home.
The court heard that the hitman had gone to Magxagxa’s home pretending to be looking for help. He killed her in the presence of one of the couple’s children in 2021.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Dlulani met the hitman in Limpopo, where he was working at the time.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Dlulani and the hitman agreed on a sum of R30 000 for the murder of Magxagxa.
The hitman, who is from Eastern Cape, drove to the home of the deceased, leaving Dlulani in Limpopo, according to evidence presented in court.
“He shot and killed the woman in front of the couple’s five-year-old daughter,” said NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
“He [Dlulani] called his family immediately after the killing of his wife and asked them to check on her, as he wanted to deposit money into her account.”
Following an intensive investigation into the killing of Magxagxa, Dlulani was arrested. During an interrogation, he implicated Msebenzini to the murder of his wife.
When the trial commenced, Dlulani pleaded not guilty and tried to distance himself from an initial statement he made to the police.
Magistrate Noluvo Mhlana said Dlulani showed remorse.
She also said he is a first-time offender and that his low level of education contributed to his decision to have his wife killed.
The NPA welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officers for their meticulous collection and presentation of evidence.
Msebenzini, who pleaded not guilty to the murder, is due in court on November 1 for the continuation of his trial.
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