CARNARVON REGIONAL COURT SENTENCES WOMAN TO 20 YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDER OF INTIMATE PARTNER
20 FEBRUARY 2026
CARNARVON REGIONAL COURT SENTENCES WOMAN TO 20 YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDER OF INTIMATE PARTNER
Carnarvon, Northern Cape – The Carnarvon Regional Court has sentenced Magda van der Westhuizen(47) to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder of her partner of 11 years, 37-year-old Ricardo de Klerk. Vân der Westhuizen pleaded guilty to the charge of murder.
The court heard that on 24 August 2024, the accused and the deceased were at their residence in Carnarvon when an argument ensued after the deceased requested sexual intercourse and the accused refused. During the altercation, the accused went to the kitchen, retrieved a knife from a cupboard, and stabbed the deceased twice in the chest. She then exited the house, threw the knife onto the roof, and remained seated outside while the deceased lay inside the residence. He later succumbed to his injuries. Members of the South African Police Service responded to the scene. Upon investigation, officers recovered the murder weapon from the roof and arrested the accused.
In aggravation of sentence, Prosecutor Xolisa March submitted that the court should not differentiate between genders when imposing appropriate sentences for serious violent crimes. The State further informed the court that the accused has two previous convictions for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (assault GBH), demonstrating a pattern of violent conduct. The prosecution argued that the murder was senseless and entirely avoidable. A victim impact statement, facilitated by Trott Manghana, was presented to the court, detailing the profound emotional trauma and financial hardship suffered by the deceased’s family because of his death.
The court found that the accused’s guilty plea constituted the only substantial and compelling circumstance justifying a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence. She was accordingly sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence, which reinforces the principle that acts of domestic violence and intimate partner homicide will be met with serious consequences, regardless of the gender of the perpetrator. Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) remain a grave violation of human rights and a serious affront to the constitutional values of dignity, equality, and freedom.
While women and children are disproportionately affected by GBVF, violence in any form, irrespective of the gender of the victim or perpetrator, undermines the very fabric of our society. Every act of violence deprives families of loved ones, destabilises communities, and perpetuates cycles of trauma that can endure for generations. We must confront these crimes with urgency, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Human life is invaluable and sacred. Every victim of violent crime deserves to be remembered, respected, and honoured. Justice must never be selective, nor empathy conditional. Whether the victim is a woman, a man, or a child, the loss is profound and irreversible. As a society, we must affirm that no life is expendable and that all victims deserve equal protection and the full weight of the law in pursuit of accountability.
Issued by:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
073 423 3539