Eastern Cape woman who killed boyfriend jailed for 20 years

The Makhanda high court has sentenced Yonela Mbaxa, 29, to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of her boyfriend, Sibusiso Lawrence Ncedo.

Mbaxa was additionally sentenced to two years for unlawful possession of a firearm and one year for possession of ammunition, ordered to run concurrently with the murder sentence.

The incident occurred in August 2022 at Ntywenka Location in Nqanqarhu (formerly Maclear).

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the couple had spent the evening drinking with neighbours when Mbaxa discovered that Ncedo had recently acquired a pistol.

“She later took control of the firearm and hid it from him,” Tyali said.

“A dispute escalated the following morning when, in a fit of anger over allegations of infidelity, Mbaxa followed Ncedo outside as he attempted to leave the house.

“She fired at least two shots, one of which struck Ncedo in the back, killing him instantly.”

Forensic evidence contradicted Mbaxa’s initial account, prompting her to revise her version of events.

Initially, she claimed that Ncedo had died by suicide, but the postmortem, which revealed a gunshot wound to his back, ruled out this possibility.

In her second statement, Mbaxa claimed that the shooting occurred during a struggle over the firearm.

However, this explanation was dismissed by expert ballistic analysis, which concluded that Ncedo was likely shot while attempting to flee.

“The inquest into Ncedo’s death was initially closed unresolved, but following expert testimony, it was determined that the most probable scenario was that Mbaxa shot Ncedo as he was trying to escape,” Tyali said.

Mbaxa pleaded guilty to all charges on October 28 2024.

As a first-time offender, her legal team sought leniency, but the court took into account the gravity of the crime, particularly the fact that Ncedo was shot while trying to flee from her.

State advocate Willemien Vos, in her argument for an appropriate sentence, described the crime as a senseless act of violence, adding that murder was prevalent in South African society and life had become cheap.

She said gun violence has also become widespread.

“Imposing a lenient sentence for serious offences such as murder would undermine public confidence in our justice system. Sentencing must be victim-centred.”

The court concurred.

Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo expressed satisfaction with the outcome, commending the prosecution team and law enforcement for their efforts in bringing Mbaxa to justice.

“This case highlights the importance of thorough investigation and the need for strong sentencing in cases of intimate partner violence,” Madolo said.

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