NPA SECURES CONVICTION OF WOMAN FOR PREMEDITATED MURDER OF SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured the conviction of Noluvuyo Sinyikatha (23) for the premeditated murder of six-year-old Likuwe Mpokopi, whom she drowned in a river at Ngcanasini, Mqanduli, on 28 August 2024. Relying on compelling circumstantial evidence and a confession that the accused later sought to repudiate, the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha found that Sinyikatha murdered the child because she believed the girl's mother was responsible for the death of her own nine-month-old baby, who had died a few days earlier.

The child's lifeless body was discovered floating in the river by women collecting firewood during the late afternoon of the incident. Community members gathered at the scene, but no one initially knew how the child had drowned in a shallow stream situated some distance from her home. Two days later, a community member informed the police that she had seen Sinyikatha walking with the deceased child towards the river shortly before midday on the day of the murder.

Following her arrest, Sinyikatha confessed that she had killed the child because she believed her own baby had been killed by the deceased's mother. The deceased's mother is the sister of Sinyikatha's boyfriend and the father of her late child. The families had been living together at the Mpokopi homestead before the infant died following an illness.

When the trial commenced, the accused challenged the admissibility of her confession, resulting in a trial-within-a-trial. The court ultimately ruled the confession admissible.

State Advocate Siphokazi Maarman led evidence from witnesses, including the community member who saw the accused leaving the homestead with the child and another witness who observed a woman matching the accused's description dragging a young girl towards the river. Although there were no eyewitnesses to the actual drowning, the court found that the State had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, commended both the prosecutor and the investigating officer for their dedication and professionalism in securing the conviction. Attention now turns to the sentencing proceedings, scheduled for 18 September 2026, where the State will seek an appropriate sentence that reflects the gravity of the offence.

The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to combating violence against society's most vulnerable members and ensuring that victims and their families receive justice through the criminal justice system.

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Eastern Cape Division