Last Facebook posts by murder victim Mary-Lee Macumbe show she was ready to find love again

While it’s unclear whether Mary-Lee Macumbe had planned to make up with her former lover, who is now convicted of killing her, some of her last Facebook status updates show the young woman was ready to find love once again.

Two months before her death, she wrote: “Every fibre in me wants to be with you and love you but experience won’t let me.” Another post read: “I know who the love of my life is. I just need to accept that fact.”

It will never be known whether these status updates referred to Percy Khoza — a charming young man.

A day after informing her family that she was going to meet Khoza, Macumbe's body was found stuffed into the boot of her car, in Malvern, Johannesburg.She had been stabbed 38 times.

On Friday, Khoza (24) began serving a 25-year prison sentence for murder.

Having already spent two years behind bars pending his trial’s outcome, he has joined the popular 26s prison gang.

On his Facebook account he has written: “Suncity aint no joke hey!!! I just want my daughter… [sic].”

The hardships of prison were not evident when he appeared unfazed in court on Friday.

Many who know Khoza have battled to accept the fact that he killed Macumbe.

His former high school friend Megan Cloete wrote on Facebook: “This morning I am truly traumatised with the Percy Khoza case where he has been found guilty of Mary-Lee’s murder. To think that this was a well-mannered and quiet kid in school.”

Born in Alberton, Khoza grew up in a stable home. Things took a turn for the worse when his father died in 2003 and he and his older brother began to fight.

Khoza was eventually sent to boarding school.

When he was 18, his first child was born. Three years later he fathered a second child.

It was that woman, who cannot be named to protect her child’s identity, whom Khoza blamed for Macumbe’s murder, saying she had killed Macumbe out of jealousy.

He described her as an abusive lover who threatened to harm their infant daughter if he did not help her dispose of Macumbe’s body.

His girlfriend’s mother said there was a time “when Percy had attacked her with a knife”.

She said their family was shocked when their daughter was taken in for questioning by police. “Had it not been of the phone records [which showed she was nowhere near the crime scene] my child would have been behind bars.”

She also said Khoza had called her to ask if she could bring her daughter to see him in jail.

“When I asked him whether he was sorry for murdering Macumbe or for wanting to blame it on my child, he hung up,” she said.

In sentencing Khoza, Judge Cassim Moosa highlighted his lack of remorse for the crime.

Recapping the evidence, Moosa said Khoza had killed Macumbe, wrapped her in a carpet and wedged her body between a bed and a curtain. He gave away her cellphone before he went out to party, only to return later with two women who slept in the room where Macumbe’s body was hidden.

The next morning, he dropped off the women before he disposed of the body.

Moosa said: “I am of the view that the accused has shown no remorse as he is insists that it was still his girlfriend who committed the crime.”

During his sentencing, Khoza turned to his mother and a young woman believed to be his new girlfriend and said: “Oh, well.”

As his mother hugged him, Khoza wept uncontrollably. His aunt told him to “take it like a man”.