A Lesotho national who murdered his wife in Ngcobo and tried to pass the killing off as a criminal attack has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Seeiso Jaase, 43, was sentenced in the Ngcobo Regional Court on Thursday after being convicted of murdering his wife on April 2 2025.
After the killing, Jaase fled to Lesotho but was arrested two days later and returned to SA through co-operation between the SAPS and Lesotho police.
The court heard that Jaase stabbed his wife to death at the couple’s flat before fleeing the scene, shouting that criminals had attacked them.
Prosecutor Lindile Dwakaza led the evidence of a neighbour who lived in the same block of flats and responded after hearing the deceased screaming during the night.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the witness found the victim lying in the doorway in a pool of blood.
“He saw the accused exiting the flat and jumping over the body of the deceased, who was lying in the doorway in a pool of blood.
“At the time, the accused was shouting, ‘Tsotsis, tsotsis’, while fleeing the scene.
“The neighbour pursued him, but the accused outran him and disappeared into a nearby forest,” Tyali said.
Jaase pleaded not guilty and claimed he and his wife had been attacked by criminals inside the flat.
“He testified that he had been struck with a hard object and lost consciousness and therefore could not explain how his wife sustained the multiple stab wounds that resulted in her death,” Tyali said.
Under cross-examination, Jaase struggled to explain his conduct after the murder.
Tyali said Dwakaza had questioned why he never reported the alleged attack to police.
“He responded that he did not know where the police station was located, despite having worked as a hawker in Ngcobo for 12 years.
“When asked why he did not seek assistance from other tenants, he stated that it did not occur to him.”
The court also heard that Jaase claimed he fled to Lesotho because he feared the supposed attackers would return and kill him.
The court rejected his version as improbable, including claims that one of the alleged attackers was involved in a secret affair with his wife.
Welcoming the sentence, acting director of public prosecutions advocate Samkelo Mtwana said the ruling reinforced the justice system’s stance against gender-based violence.
“The sentence reaffirms the prosecution’s firm stance against gender-based violence and the abuse of vulnerable persons,” Mtwana said.
He also praised the co-operation between the SAPS and Lesotho police in securing Jaase’s arrest and return to SA.
“The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of such heinous crimes are held accountable and that victims receive justice,” Mtwana said.
Daily Dispatch
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