Ntombizodwa Samane, the grieving mother of six-year-old Amantle, sobbed uncontrollably when the Johannesburg High Court on Monday handed down a double life sentence to Phethe Sara Simiao, an undocumented migrant hailing from Mozambique who was convicted of the rape and murder of her daughter.
The courtroom was heavy with emotion as the judge delivered the sentence, marking the end of a harrowing case that has gripped the community of Orlando East, Soweto.
According to Samane, Simiao’s sentencing brings a measure of justice to the family.
She described her daughter as a confident and determined fighter who fought in her death for justice.
“I don’t know what to say, but for this sentencing, I’m happy, even though it won’t bring back my child,” Samane spoke through tears.
“Wherever my daughter is right now, she will rest peacefully because justice has been served. Amantle was a fighter; she never gave up easily in anything because she was confident, so this is justice to us as a family.”
Despite the relief brought by the sentence, Samane expressed frustration that Simiao chose not to give testimony in court, leaving the family with unanswered questions about the motive behind the heinous crime.
“The crime left me with question marks. I haven’t found closure because I would like to know why he did what he did. Perhaps he’s used to doing this, and in the past he got away with it,” she said.
Sentence serves as a warning
Samane also reflected on the broader significance of the sentence, hoping it serves as a warning to others.
“I saw him crying here, and I wanted to manhandle him myself. The problem is that I do not have the power to do that. This sentence should send a message to men that enough is enough, and whatever crime they commit, they will have to pay for it.”
As Simiao walked away to his new home in jail, GBV activists in court shouted.
“Hamba, you will meet your match there, you killer!”
In October 2024, Amantle was last seen playing with other children in the street near her home. Simiao, a welder, lured her to a shack.
Simiao, who lived in a rented shack in the area, kidnapped, raped, and strangled her to conceal the crime.
Her lifeless, half-naked body was discovered by her landlord, Gush Masanabo, after two teenagers alerted him to seeing Amantle with Simiao, a non-relative.
Later, he turned himself in and admitted his guilt to the crime.
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