Nelspruit – An Mpumalanga man who admitted to shooting dead his ex-girlfriend in front of her colleagues asked for a lenient sentence on Wednesday.

A Sapa correspondent reported that Steven Malumane, 25, from Chochocho outside Hazyview, appeared in the Nelspruit Circuit of the Pretoria High Court.

He pleaded guilty to five charges including murder, hijacking, kidnapping, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Malumane attacked Cynthia Mashego, 35, at her workplace on the third floor of the Sanlam building in Mbombela on March 22 last year. He shot her in the corridor, fled and hijacked a blue Toyota Corolla and kidnapped its owner, Vusimuzi Frans Mabuza. He fled with Mabuza to his parents’ home in Chochocho. His family called police and he was arrested.

“I ask to offer my apology to the deceased’s family. I realise what I did is wrong and I ask them to forgive me,” a sobbing Malumane told the court.

“Last year I did ask my family to go to the Mashego family and ask for forgiveness on my behalf. I also ask for forgiveness from Mr Mabuza… I was frightened and wanted Mabuza to accompany me home to report what I had done to my family.”

Malumane, who claimed he was getting around R10 000 from his two businesses each month, asked the court to consider a lenient sentence, so he could be released early and support his two children and his ex-girlfriend’s family.

Mashego’s mother, Agnes Shabangu, 59, told the court no one from Malumane’s family had come to ask for forgiveness.

“I have not seen anyone from his family who came to ask for forgiveness, since the incident happened. My daughter was a breadwinner in the family,” she told the court.

“She was very helpful. I am now left to care for her child and I can no longer work. I’m deeply hurt by her death and have still not recovered from the trauma.”

After Mashego broke up with Malumane and she had moved on with her life, he started sending her threatening smses.

The court heard that on the morning of March 22, Malumane went to Magagula Attorneys, where Mashego worked, dragged her into a corridor and fired two shots. One of the bullets hit her in the back. She died on the scene.

Prosecutor Molatlhwa Mashuga asked the court to impose a minimum sentence, which would serve as a deterrent to Malumane and other would-be criminals. Malanguti Malanguti, for Malumane, asked the court to consider a lenient sentence as he had shown remorse and asked for forgiveness.

Justice Mmonoa Teffo found Malamane guilty and postponed the matter to Friday for sentencing.

Sapa