Mamelodi man sentenced to life for killing girlfriend with axe, burning body

A 36-year-old man who killed his girlfriend before setting her corpse alight in the presence of her son has been sentenced to life imprisonment. 

The Pretoria high court on Tuesday further sentenced John Sifiso Sibanyoni, from Mamelodi East, to 15 years for arson. 

Sibanyoni killed Gadifele Promise Mdletshe, 25, on February 3 2021 after an argument. After Sibanyoni threatened to kill her at the home they shared, Mdletshe ran outside with her 10-year-old son.  

“However, Sibanyoni managed to catch up with her, dragged her back to the shack, hacked her with an axe on the skull and leg and set her alight in the presence of her son, who was standing at the door.  

“After realising that his mother was burning, the boy ran to the neighbours to report the incident,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said.  

She said Sibanyoni handed himself to the police a few days later.

“However, due to his delayed appearance in court, the matter was withdrawn and Sibanyoni was rearrested on September 20 2022 in Mpumalanga and has been in custody since.” 

Sibanyoni pleaded not guilty to the charges and said he hacked Mdletshe with an axe by mistake, while trying to stop her from setting the shack alight.  

However, the prosecutor, advocate Sipho Lalane, provided evidence to prove Sibanyoni had killed his girlfriend.   

Lalane said Sibanyoni had two previous convictions for assault and malicious injury to property.  

The court said there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment for murder, Mahanjana said.  

TimesLIVE