Woman gets 10 years after pleading guilty to murder of a neighbour, and six for culpable homicide

The Nxuba (formerly Cradock) regional court on Tuesday sentenced Yvonne Brouwers to an effective 10-year jail term after she pleaded guilty to a count of murder and another of culpable homicide.

The sentences related to the killings of her neighbour Thembisile John Mondo in February 1 2023 and her 64-year-old stepmother Nontsokolo Mthathi a year later. 

Brouwers, 29, fatally stabbed Mondo in a confrontation at his home. “Brouwers had gone to Mondo’s house to inquire into an alleged incident in which he had struck her child,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.

Brouwers claimed Mondo drew a knife, attempting to stab her. “In what she described as self-defence, Brouwers took the knife from Mondo and stabbed him once.”

Brouwers went to another neighbour’s house and admitted to what she had done. Despite her confession, no-one immediately believed her nor informed the authorities.

Mondo’s body was discovered the next day and Brouwers was arrested after confirming she was responsible for the stabbing. “On February 25 2024, while Brouwers was on bail on the first matter, she killed her stepmother by striking her on the head with a mug during an argument at their home in Nxuba.”

Mthathi was taken to hospital, treated for the injury and sent home. Mthathi died from complications related to the head injury. “A postmortem examination revealed that Mthathi’s death was caused by internal bleeding in her skull, which resulted from the blow to her head, a condition that could not be detected by the naked eye at the time.” 

The court sentenced Brouwers to 10 years for murder and six years for culpable homicide and ordered the sentences to run concurrently. 

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