Durban Woman Who Killed and Burned Her Father Faces Sentencing in Ntuzuma Court
- Nompumelelo Mabaso, 25, pleaded guilty to murdering Dennis Mzimela at their Inanda home in September 2024
- Mabaso described stomping on her father, striking him with a toy firearm, and later attacking him with a garden hoe
- The prosecution called for a life sentence while the defence urged leniency, citing remorse and no prior convictions
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KWAZULU-NATAL — A 25-year-old Durban woman who admitted to killing her father and setting his body alight will learn her fate when the Ntuzuma Regional Court hands down its sentence.
IOL reported that Nompumelelo Mabaso entered a guilty plea to the murder of Dennis Mzimela, detailing the events of 5 September 2024 in a court statement. According to Mabaso, the fatal confrontation began when Mzimela approached her at midnight. After he fell, she stomped on him and struck him with a toy firearm. She later returned and hit him on the head with a garden hoe as he lay on a couch.
The attack that consumed the Inanda home
Mabaso then placed a plastic bin bag over Mzimela's head and set it alight, starting a fire that destroyed the family home in Inanda. Medical evidence presented in court confirmed that Mzimela died as a result of blunt force trauma, with secondary charring to his body.
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The prosecution, led by Kaystree Ramsamujh, argued that a life sentence was warranted. Ramsamujh noted that while Mabaso alleged Mzimela had raped her, no criminal case had ever been opened against him in relation to those claims, and the allegation therefore could not be used to justify the killing.
Sentencing arguments from both sides
Defence attorney Sakhile Zondi appealed to the court for leniency on Mabaso's behalf, pointing to her expression of remorse and the fact that she has no prior criminal record. Mzimela's family submitted statements to the court calling for a severe sentence.
They described their grief at losing both their father and the family home, noting that he had been the household's primary provider. Magistrate Hein Barnard Visagie is set to deliver the sentence. A date for the sentencing has not yet been publicly confirmed.
Pretoria woman found guilty of husband's death
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the conviction of Antoinette Maritz for premeditated murder in connection with a violent home invasion that resulted in the death of her partner, Wayne Henderson. The chilling details of the crime reveal a disturbing betrayal, as Maritz conspired with her ex-partner to carry out the brutal attack, leaving a community in shock.
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Source: Briefly News
