ESTRANGED HUSBAND CONVICTED OF PREMEDITATED MURDER OF HIS WIFE
17 SEPTEMBER 2025
ESTRANGED HUSBAND CONVICTED OF PREMEDITATED MURDER OF HIS WIFE
Pretoria – The Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria, has convicted Mpumelelo Sydney Maseti (47) from Soshanguve Block WW of the premeditated murder of his estranged wife, Yvone Yolanda Maseti (39). At the time of the incident, the couple had been separated for over eight months due to Maseti’s infidelity, after he was caught in a relationship with his wife’s brother’s girlfriend. While Maseti remained in the marital home with their three children (aged 16, 13, and 9), the deceased had moved to rented accommodation in Soshanguve Block TT.
On 28 October 2022 in the evening, Maseti went to the room where the wife was renting with their children because they had arranged that the wife would care for the children at the marital home while Maseti travelled. However, when he could not find her, he went to her residence again at around 22h00 that night. When he arrived, an argument ensued between the two, and he forced her to return with him to his home. Once there, Maseti instructed the children to remain in their bedroom before assaulting the deceased and burning her with boiling water in the bathtub. After hearing the mother’s screams, the eldest child alerted the police and reported what was happening. When officers arrived, the child opened the gate for them, but Maseti fled. Upon entering the house, the police found the deceased crawling on the lounge floor, where she informed police that her husband had burned her. She was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries on 31 December 2022. The post-mortem confirmed her death was caused by severe burn wounds requiring surgical intervention.
The following day, 29 October 2022, Maseti handed himself over to the Soshanguve Police Station, where his children had been placed in care due to a lack of parental supervision. In court, Maseti denied guilt, claiming that the deceased had burned herself. However, Advocate Lawrence More led compelling testimony from nine witnesses, including three medical experts and the couple’s 16-year-old child. The court found the State witnesses credible and consistent, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The matter has been postponed to 06 November 2025 for a pre-sentence report.
Issued by:
Lumka Mahanjana
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division: Pretoria
073 002 0000