The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says the hefty sentencing of a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) perpetrator during Women’s Month is indicative of its fight to ensure the reduction of the scourge.
Three years after Siphokazi Booi’s body was found in Paarl’s Mbekweni community, the Paarl Regional Court this week sentenced her boyfriend to life behind bars.
Sithobele Qebe, known as Rasta, was arrested in September 2021 shortly after the 27-year-old’s charred, dismembered body was found in a wheelie bin not far from his home.
Qebe pleaded guilty to Booi’s murder, obstructing the administration of justice, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, desecrating a corpse, and contravention of his bail conditions.
The court heard he assaulted the deceased during an argument, and hours later, when he realised Booi was unresponsive bundled her body in a wheelie bin and left it on a burning dumpsite with the hope that the flames would engulf the wheelie bin and her body.
Qebe admitted he did this fearing that authorities would discover his crime.
Before killing her in September 2021, Qebe was arrested for hitting the deceased and biting her, resulting in a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. This incident happened a month before the murder.
He was granted bail with the condition that he should refrain from contacting the deceased, but this bail condition was violated.
-EWN
In other news – Uzalo actress Nothando Ngcobo (Hlelo) speaks out after disappearing
Well-known South African actress Nothando Ngcobo is ready to face the world again. This was after she took a break from the screen and social media to focus on her mental health, among other things.
She said that sometimes being a public figure can challenge one’s mental health. “I needed this break to focus on many things. I was able to focus on my family and myself. But most importantly, I focused more on my mental health. Read More
