A 71-year-old Mpumalanga pensioner has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after she and two other people beat to death a 50-year-old woman who had accused them of stealing her cattle.
Elina Magagule was sentenced at the Nelspruit Regional court on Wednesday for the December 23 2009 murder.
According to Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga, W/O Thandi Tshabalala, on the day of the murder, the deceased confronted Magagule, Pleasure Ngobeni, 35, and Solly Zitha, and accused them of stealing her cattle in Acornhoek.
“An argument started, and the three accused started assaulting the deceased.
“The deceased succumbed to her injuries. The three accused were arrested the following day and later released on bail.”
Tshabalala said the matter was initially investigated by the local police, but the deceased’s family was not satisfied with the progress.
This led to the matter being transferred to the Hawks’ Nelspruit-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit to investigate further.
Following the Hawks’ involvement, the matter went to trial last year and was finalised on Wednesday.
Magagule got 20-years while Ngobeni was handed a life sentence.
Zitha passed away in 2024 before the commencement of the trial, said Tshabalala.
Mpumalanga Hawks head Maj-Gen Nico Gerber applauded the commitment, dedication and hard work of the team in ensuring the successful conclusion of the case and the subsequent sentences.
Gerber also congratulated the prosecution and investigation teams “who worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. This sentence must send out a stern warning that conflict and disagreements should be resolved amicably,” Gerber said.
Sowetan
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