2 Men Sentenced to Combined 53 Years in Prison for GBV Murders in Free State and Limpopo

• Two separate court rulings handed down on 17 September 2026 saw two men convicted of killing their partners in violent GBV incidents
• Dakalo Nemangwele shot his wife multiple times during a road trip and fled to Zimbabwe, while Shadrack Sithole fatally stabbed his girlfriend at a tavern
• Senior SAPS commissioners from both provinces praised the detective work and prosecution that secured heavy sentences for both men

SOUTH AFRICA — Two men have been handed a combined 53-year prison sentence following separate gender-based violence convictions in the Free State and Limpopo provinces, with both rulings delivered on 17 September 2026.

Free State High Court convicts Soweto man for wife's murder

Dakalo Nemangwele, 36, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of his wife, Mudzunga Ramalata, 29. The couple had been travelling from Soweto to Bloemfontein in January 2025 when Nemangwele shot her multiple times inside their vehicle along the N1 highway. He abandoned her body in bushes near a farm in the Verkeerdevlei area before driving to Musina and crossing into Zimbabwe.

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Investigators pieced the case together using vehicle tracking records, CCTV footage, cellphone data, and forensic DNA analysis, which collectively led authorities to the victim's remains and placed Nemangwele at the scene. His vehicle had been taken to a car wash in an attempt to remove bloodstains and conceal damage. Two accomplices in Musina were subsequently arrested for harbouring his illegal firearms and obstructing justice. Nemangwele ultimately surrendered to police shortly after the killing.

Limpopo man gets 28 years for tavern stabbing

In a separate ruling, the Musina Regional Court sentenced Shadrack Sithole, 33, to 28 years of direct imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend. The attack occurred in July 2025 at a tavern in Tshivaloni Village, where a verbal altercation between the pair turned deadly. Sithole fled the scene immediately after the attack but was tracked down and arrested by investigating officers later that same day. He remained in custody throughout the duration of his trial.

Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia and Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers both commended the detective work and prosecutorial efforts that resulted in the substantial sentences for the two perpetrators.

More on GBV convictions and crime in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a Karoo farmer found guilty of trafficking and raping six young women he had hired as au pairs, with devastating consequences for the victims.
• Three suspects were arrested after motorsport champion Robert Wolk was shot dead in Kempton Park following a minor collision.
• A suspected serial rapist was arrested in Cato Manor after DNA evidence linked him to 16 attacks spanning over a decade.

Source: Briefly News