Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband – Newstrends
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Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband

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9 months ago

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Kedibone Lonia Nyathi

Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband

The High Court of South Africa; Limpopo Division in Polokwane, has sentenced a 47-year-old woman, Kedibone Lonia Nyathi, to 25 years imprisonment, after she pleaded guilty to killing her husband, Sandy Nyathi.

Nyathi was previously charged with three young men whom she had contracted to kill her husband.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson, Limpopo Division, Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, said Nyathi, was charged with murder.

“The charge relates to an incident of 03 December 2022, in Enable village in the district of Mopani. The accused was previously charged alongside three young men who she had contracted to kill her husband,” the statement read.

The erstwhile co-accused persons: Remember Surprise Malepe (19), Ethen Raganya(18) and Poopo Ventry Mabela(18) entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state and they were expected to testify against the accused.

The accused were sentenced as follows: Malepe to an effective 10 years, and Raganya and Mabela were sentenced to an effective 8 years each.

After their conviction and sentence, the trio became state witnesses and the case against Nyathi was separated.

In an about turn, the accused (Nyathi) who had earlier indicated that she intended to plead not guilty changed her tune and negotiated a plea and sentence agreement with the state.

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Her plea and sentence agreement revealed that she contracted the former co-accused to kill her husband for a fee of R15 000, she further asked her accomplices to stage a hi-jacking by barricading the road where she will pass together with the deceased.

The accused was driving her vehicle pretending that she was accompanying her husband to work, on the other hand informing her accomplices to prepare themselves for killing. Before she reached the workplace, she then stopped the car and asked the deceased to remove objects which were thrown into the road.

The deceased alighted from the vehicle, and that’s when the deceased was stabbed to death by the former accused persons and one of the former co-accused pretended to attack her(Nyathi).

In mitigation, the defence submitted that there are substantial and compelling circumstances present in this matter because the accused was a first offender, she had shown true remorse by pleading guilty, she has a minor child, and she is suffering from two chronic illnesses.

In aggravation of the sentence, the senior state Advocate Nkhetheni Munyai submitted that this offence was committed out of greed since the investigations revealed that she ( Nyathi ) had several insurance policy payments that she was entitled to in the event of the deceased death.

Advocate Munyai further said that the suitable sentence, in this case, should be 25 years imprisonment.

The acting judge Ngobeni found that the plea and sentence agreement was in the interests of justice and accordingly sentenced the accused to 25 years of direct imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The NPA welcomed the sentence and the Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Ivy Thenga commended both the State advocate Munyai and the investigation Officer, Detective Sergeant Sello Rony Maepa of Maake police station for building an insurmountable case against the accused which left her with no option but to plead guilty.

Woman bags 25 years imprisonment for hiring hitmen to kill her husband

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Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria

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3 hours ago

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March 16, 2025

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Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria

With the fuel crisis bedevilling the Republic of Niger, some of its military officials have visited Abuja to seek support from Nigeria to tackle the shortage of Premium Motor Spirit in the country.

It was gathered that the delegation successfully got the approval for 300 trucks of fuel from the Nigerian government.

Trouble started for Niger -which has been reliant on a Chinese refinery – after the refinery was shut down due to some misunderstanding with the supplier.

This led to Niger turning to Nigeria for help to ameliorate the fuel shortage experienced by the country.

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Officials from the Nigerian government noted that the deal was approved with the hope of using it as a bargaining tool with Niger.

“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.

“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the official said while pleading anonymity.

Sources stated that fuel prices in Niger were hitting N8,000 per litre

However, some transborder businessmen have attributed the fuel scarcity in Niger to the lingering relationship between the country and Nigeria.

They noted that in some cross-border towns to Niger, fuel is being sold for between 1,200 CFA and N3,500 (N2,500 and N8,500).

Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria

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Africa

ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

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4 days ago

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March 12, 2025

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ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its Standby Force to curb terrorism and other transborder crimes in the subregion.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Forty-third ordinary meeting of ECOWAS Committee Chiefs of Defence Staff said the economic growth of the region is dependent on stable peace.

The minister added that there is a need for members of ECOWAS to close ranks against all forms of threats against the region.

On January 29, 2025, ECOWAS recognised the exit of three of its former members Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic upon the expiration of a one-year notice period.

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However, in “the spirit of regional solidarity”, ECOWAS asked its member countries to still recognise the national passports of the three exiting countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice.

Their departure from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future.

The three junta-led countries formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an “immediate” withdrawal in January 2024, citing the organisation’s excessive dependence on France in particular.

Paris has become the common enemy of the three juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

However, ECOWAS required one year’s notice for the departure to be effective — that deadline falls on January 29, 2025.

The three Sahelian countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

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Africa

Policewoman arrested for murder of husband, female friend

Published

5 days ago

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March 11, 2025

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Nyiko Nyathi

Policewoman arrested for murder of husband, female friend

A 42-year-old police sergeant, Nyiko Nyathi was arrested in connection with the kidnapping and brutal murder of her husband and his ‘female friend’ in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The officer handed herself over to authorities at Bushbuckridge police station, according to Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

She appeared before the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday, March 10, 2025, facing charges for the m8rder of her husband and another woman.

“According to information, in February 2024, Lawrence Alba Mashego, 44, was reportedly attacked by a group of armed men at his house in Boikhutsong Trust in Bushbuckridge. The armed men robbed him of his Toyota Quantum and Ford Escort, then he got kidnapped,” said Mdhluli.

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“The two vehicles were reportedly used by the armed suspects as a mode of transport to reach a certain house in Zoeknog. At the house, they found Victoria Lebyane, 44, Mashego’s female friend, in possession of Mashego’s bank cards.”

Lebyane was then robbed of about R4,000 cash as well as some bank cards belonging to Mashego. After that, Mashego and Lebyane were m8rdered by the assailants.

“The matter was probed by the men and women in blue, where a thorough investigation was carried out, leading to the arrest of four suspects in connection with the incident. One of the suspects then pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 77 years imprisonment,” said Mdhluli.

As the police intensified their investigations, the police sergeant was implicated in the m8rder of her husband Mashego, and Lebyane.

Following the court appearance on Monday, the case was postponed to Wednesday, for a formal bail application.

Meanwhile, acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed Nyathi’s arrest.

He emphasised that the law will take its course on anyone suspected to have committed crime, regardless of their social status or position.

“The SAPS remains resolute to be intolerant to any criminality within our ranks,” said Mkhwanazi.

Policewoman arrested for murder of husband, female friend

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