A Limpopo businessman who tried to blame intruders for the brutal killing of his wife, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, bringing to an end a decade-long court battle that gripped the province.
Rameez Patel (38) was on Friday sentenced by the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane for the murder of his wife, Fatima Choomara Patel (28), who was shot dead in their Nirvana apartment in April 2015.
Patel was also handed an additional five years for unlawful possession of a firearm and three years for unlawful possession of ammunition. The court further ruled that he is unfit to own a firearm.
The court heard that Fatima was killed following ongoing marital problems linked to Patel’s extramarital affairs. Despite his claims that intruders had broken into the apartment and killed his wife, police investigations found no signs of forced entry, and his version of events later unravelled under scrutiny.
During the trial, Patel’s younger brother, Razeen, told the court that the accused instructed him to hide a box containing a firearm at a shop after the murder. Razeen also testified that Patel threatened to kill him if he ever spoke about the crime. Fearing for his life, Razeen later reported the threats and confession to police.
Forensic pathologist Dr Thakadu Mamashela testified that Fatima died from a gunshot wound to the head and had sustained other injuries prior to her death. A cricket bat, recovered from the ceiling of the apartment, also formed part of the State’s evidence.
Patel, who pleaded not guilty when the trial started in 2016, had been out on R250 000 bail since 2015.
In a failed bid to avoid jail time, the defence called a clinical psychologist who recommended house arrest. However, under cross-examination, the psychologist admitted she was unaware that Patel had already been convicted and had not assessed the couple’s children, who are now in the care of their maternal grandmother and aunt. Patel himself did not testify in mitigation.
In aggravation, the State described the case as one of the most disturbing examples of femicide, arguing that a life sentence was the only appropriate punishment amid South Africa’s ongoing gender-based violence crisis.
Handing down sentence, Judge Joseph Raulinga said Patel showed no remorse and that there were no compelling reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling, saying justice had finally been served for Fatima and her family, and praised the prosecutors and Hawks investigators for their persistence in seeing the matter through.
