Wife killer’s D-Day draws closer as sentencing looms

SENTENCING proceedings against convicted wife killer, Babsy Ntamehlo, are expected to get under way in the Western Cape High court today.

Ntamehlo was found guilty last month of the premeditated murder of his estranged wife, Nosicelo Tsipa, who he had killed after telling his friend what he wished to do to her – Tsipa's body was found days on September 6, 2020, after the utterances.

Ntamehlo killed Tsipa, who had a number of protective orders issued against him by her, over a dispute regarding a RDP house where they were meant to live together.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said Ntamehlo threatened to strangle his wife. Despite being described as an abusive and violent partner, Ntamehlo denied to the court that Tsipa “feared for her life” and pleaded not guilty to the charges during the trial.

“He told his friend Nyameko Sixhozi, ‘I wish to strangle this (woman) to death around the early hours of the morning and burn her body next to the river close to us, my brother. I have had enough'. A few days later, Tsipa's body was found strangled, partially burnt, and buried in a shallow grave in Fisantekraal, near Durbanville.

“The couple married in 2008, but things changed around 2016 after Ntamehlo received a government RDP house. His wife received her RDP house in Atlantis before him, but they agreed that they cannot move to the area as it was far from her husband's workplace. Besides, Ntamehlo had applied for his government-supplied property in Fisantekraal. At the time they were staying in an informal settlement in the area. Ntamehlo's RDP house came up (for occupation) and he and Tsipa, their son Lilitha and the Tsipa's brother, Lukho, moved in.

“The wife's brother moved to the Western Cape from the Eastern Cape as part of an intervention to stop Tsipa's abuse at the hands of her husband. The couple decided to sell Tsipa's house in Atlantis to build a homestead in the rural areas in the Eastern Cape, close to her (Ntamehlo's) parental home. Some of the money from the sale of the property would assist in the property in Fisantekraal,” said Ntabazalila.

During the trial, State advocate Megan September told the court tensions increased between the couple after Ntamehlo made it clear he no longer wanted Tsipa as his wife and wanted to chase her off the property.

At conviction, Judge Daniel Thulare said he was “unable to trace an iota of evidence which is consistent with the innocence of the accused”.

“The accused decided in advance and arranged in advance what he would do to Nosicelo.”