Man slapped with 15 years in jail for girlfriend’s murder

The Bethlehem High Court has handed down 15 years in jail for the 30-year-old Letele Zacharia, who murdered his girlfriend on the fateful night last year in October in Lindley, Free State.

According to a police spokesperson, captain Phumelelo Dlamini, on the night of October 23rd 2021, the couple had a fight at a tavern in Lindley over Zacharia’s ex wife’s presence.

“The two then decided to go home, but the fight continued upon their arrival,” added captain Dlamini.

Furthermore, a while into the fight, Zacharia took a knife and stabbed his girlfriend, Thandeni Dlamini (28) once in the neck.

Out of fright, Zacharia wrapped a cloth around his bleeding girlfriend’s neck in an attempt to stop further bleeding, but it was too late.

“The 28-year-old victim died whilst sleeping,” informed captain Dlamini.

The culprit then took the deceased’s body and threw it in a dam situated in the municipal camp near the R707 road.

On November 9th 2021, a woman picking up woods spotted the corpse floating in the dam. She then informed the the deceased’s next of kin who positively identified the victim and reported to the police.

“Detective sergeant Nthabiseng Motolo led the investigation for the case,” informed captain Dlamini.

Motolo and her team followed various numerous leads about the whereabouts of Zacharia and found him hiding at his grandmother’s house in Tseki, Qwaqwa.

Allegedly, Zacharia went to Tseki to undergo a cleansing ritual for the murder.

The police then apprehended the then suspect and took him back to Lindley where he willingly confessed to the murder.

The court found Zacharia guilty of murder and defeating the ends of justice.

He was then sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and five years for both charges respectively by judge Mpina Mathebula of Bethlehem High Court yesterday.