Eastern Cape resident Nomsa Caroline Seyisi, 46, has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder by the Makhanda magistrate’s court.
The sentencing comes after the events in 2023, that happened outside Mayfield Farm in Makhanda, where Seyisi killed 41-year-old Thembinkosi Wambi and attempted to kill her cousin Zukiswa Frans.
Seyisi and Frans shared a home during their childhood. The deceased was Wambi was Frans’ boyfriend.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the trio were in Wambi’s parents’ house on the night of the event.
“Seyisi came with two male friends, Frans was already in bed. He urged Frans to go with them to lead the men to the home of a particular traditional healer as part of a pre-arranged plot to entice Frans away and murder her.
“Seyisi and her friends, who identified themselves as “Ndumiso” and “Siya,” got into the car with Frans and Wambi. After that, they headed for Mayfield Farm. He asked the driver to stop so she could urinate at one point in the trip. Seyisi and the two men exited the car once the driver pulled over, Wambi was dragged by the shoulder as one of the men commanded him to exit the car,” said NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
Wambi was shot in the head and died at the scene, while the bullet that struck Frans hit her hand but did not penetrate.
“Frans pretended to be dead, covering her head with her hand. After the shooting, one of the assailants instructed Seyisi to check whether the victims were dead. She placed her foot on the backs of each of the victims and reported to her accomplices that they were indeed dead and they drove off.”
Frans managed to walk to a nearby house, where the police were called.
“Days later, after learning that the police were searching for her, Seyisi voluntarily handed herself in at the Makhanda Police Station. She was arrested, and the two male accomplices remain at large.”
In court, it was revealed that Seyisi had helped her work colleague arrange an insurance policy for Frans before the incident. The policy, which was taken out without Frans’ knowledge, would pay out R120,000 in the event of an unnatural death.
Arguing for an appropriate sentence, Senior State Advocate Johannes Engelbrecht called several key witnesses to testify.
Frans, the sole survivour, was a key witness to the attack, as well as members of the deceased’s family who spoke to the emotional and psychological toll the murder had taken on them.
Engelbrecht also called on various law enforcement and expert witnesses, including SAPS officers who investigated the crime, forensic pathologists who provided detailed testimony regarding the cause of death, and the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination of Wambi.
In addition, representatives from Sanlam testified about the life insurance policy that had been taken out on Frans, which added an alarming financial motive to the crime.
