By OBAKENG MAJE
28 October 2026 – A man (31) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Scottburgh Regional Court for killing his girlfriend (29) in Mandawe, on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The man was also convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition following offences committed in March 2025.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the accused and the deceased were in a relationship and had a child together. Ramkisson-Kara said On 30 March 2025, the accused went to the deceased’s cottage in Mandawe after she failed to answer his phone calls.
“When he found her, he accused her of communicating with strangers on her cellphone. The accused allegedly became angry and drew a firearm, prompting the deceased to scream. Her screams alerted neighbours, who warned him against committing any unlawful act.
“Despite their intervention, he shot her several times in the upper body. He then turned the firearm on himself and shot himself on the side of the head. He was taken to hospital, where he later recovered and was subsequently charged,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara further said in court, the accused pleaded guilty to all charges in terms of Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act and was convicted accordingly. She added that during the sentencing proceedings, the state prosecutor, Thanusha Govender submitted the crime scene photo album, ballistic report and post-mortem report as evidence.
“Govender also presented a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the deceased’s mother, with assistance from Court Preparation Officer Nokukhanya Mkhize. In her statement, the deceased’s mother told the court that her daughter had been the family’s breadwinner and contributed financially towards various household expenses.
“She also described the trauma the murder had inflicted on the family. The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm and seven years imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
She said the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment. Ramkisson-Kara said he was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
She said the NPA welcomed the sentence as an appropriate reflection of the seriousness of the crime. Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA reiterates that Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) have no place in our society.
“Women have the right to safety and dignity, including within intimate relationships, and perpetrators who violate those rights must be held accountable. Combatting GBVF remained an organisational priority for the NPA.
“Working with our partners in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, we will continue to vigorously prosecute perpetrators of GBVF and ensure that victims and their families have access to justice,” she said.
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