Give Ntuthuko Shoba the sentence he deserves, says police minister Bheki Cele

25 March 2022 - 15:24 By TIMESLIVE
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Convicted killer Ntuthuko Shoba will know in May how many years he will spend behind bars for murdering his girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule and their unborn child.
Convicted killer Ntuthuko Shoba will know in May how many years he will spend behind bars for murdering his girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule and their unborn child.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi

Police minister Bheki Cele has joined the throng of people celebrating Ntuthuko Shoba's conviction on Friday for ordering the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Tshegofatso Pule.

Pule was eight months pregnant when she was found dead in June 2020 with a single gunshot wound hanging from a tree in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg.

In a statement, Cele called on the high court in Johannesburg to give Shoba a befitting sentence.

“The next step is for the courts to hand this heartless man an appropriate sentence that we hope can bring some comfort and justice to the Pule family,” said Cele.

Shoba had been nabbed after the hitman he hired, Muzikayise Malephane, was arrested.

Malephane then confessed to the crime and implicated Shoba as the mastermind, saying the former JSE analyst had wanted Pule killed because he was afraid his fiancée would find out about his affair with Pule.

Malephane said Shoba had agreed to pay him R70,000 from an R8m trust fund he claimed his fiancée had recently received.

Malephane is serving a 20-year sentence for the murder.

Cele praised the police for the speedy arrests.

Malephane was convicted last year, while Shoba — who had continued to plead his innocence and repeatedly tried to secure bail — was finally tried this year.

“It is vigorous dedicated detective work that has led us to this guilty verdict. Police investigations have ensured that all bases were covered and a watertight case was presented before the courts,” said Cele.

“Eventually, evidence was put out for the world to see that Tshegofatso was murdered by a hired gun ... Ntuthuko Shoba plotted to not only kill his girlfriend but also his unborn child.”

Shoba will return to court on May 10 for sentencing.

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