Woman’s family express outrage as murder case drags on

FAMILY members of a woman who died after she was stabbed 20 times, allegedly by her jilted lover, were in tears yesterday after the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court ordered that the man be admitted to a psychiatric institution for mental observation.

Sibongiseni Patrick Zondi, 42, allegedly stabbed the mother of his two children, Nonhle Charmaine Mbonambi, at the Summit Club in Hillbrow, where she worked as a waitress.

Mbonambi’s family, from Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal, said they were not pleased with the court’s process, claiming that since the matter started, it always gets postponed for various reasons.

“He has confessed to killing Nonhle and even admitted that he has been planning it for a year,” said Nonhle’s aunt Lindiwe Mbonambi.

Recounting events leading up to her 24-year-old niece’s demise, Mbonambi said Nonhle and Zondi’s relationship had always been volatile until her niece decided to break up with the accused.

“His friends told us that he told them that he will kill Nonhle if he can’t have her; he didn’t keep it a secret.”

The aunt said they were informed by Zondi’s friends that he bought two big knives two weeks before allegedly committing the murder.

He allegedly went to the club on December 27, 2016 an hour before Nonhle was due to start her shift.

“He sat and waited for her, and when she came in, he stabbed her 20 times and slit her throat,” Mbonambi said,

ANC Women’s League spokesperson Jacqui Mofokeng said they would continue to support the family until the court finalised the matter. “Every time a person has to go for a matter in court, they play insane, this is what makes cases to be prolonged.”

The accused was remanded in custody and the matter was postponed to July 19. – ANA