30 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR INTIMATE PARTNER FEMICIDE

14 OCTOBER 2025

30 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR INTIMATE PARTNER FEMICIDE

The Mtubatuba Regional Court has sentenced Sibusiso Nyawo (45) to 30 years' direct imprisonment for the murder of his partner in August 2024 in the Nkodibe area.

Nyawo and the deceased, Silindile Msane (48), were in a relationship with each other. In the early morning of August 13, 2024, Nyawo contacted his landlord and one of Msane’s friends, stating that Msane was not breathing or moving. He told them that she had complained about body pains and feeling unwell at some stage prior. The landlord and friend went to the scene and saw that Msane was not breathing. They also noticed that there wasn’t any blood on or around her body. The matter was reported to the police, and an inquest docket was opened as it was believed that Msane had died from an illness.

A few days later, during the postmortem, the district surgeon discovered that Msane had sustained a dislocated neck and bruises on her neck and shoulder. The doctor concluded that her death was unnatural, with the cause of death being blunt force trauma to the head and a dislocated neck. When Nyawo was questioned by the police, he mentioned in his warning statement that he had fought with Msane the night before her death and he had banged her head against the wall. However, he said that she was conscious when they went to sleep, even though she did complain about feeling unwell.

In court, the Prosecutor Sphelele Precious Mdluli led the evidence of Nyawo’s warning statement as well as the testimonies of the landlord and Msane’s friend, who told the court that Nyawo had often beaten Msane, sometimes with a bush knife. In furtherance of the state’s case, Mdluli handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Msane’s sister and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Sthembile Cebekhulu. In her statement, the woman said that Msane’s body was covered in old wounds from the injuries inflicted by Nyawo over time.

In sentencing Nyawo, the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment and sentenced him to 30 years' imprisonment. The court’s reasons for the deviation were that evidence showed that Nyawo had attempted to resuscitate Msane and he had also gone to the landlord and Msane’s friend for assistance.

Nyawo was sentenced accordingly, and he was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the successful conviction and sentence. We encourage members of the public to speak out against domestic violence. We hope that sentences of this nature will deter like-minded people.

Issued by:

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara

NPA Regional Spokesperson

KZN Division

071 6700 229