WOMAN SETENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR KILLING HER NEIGHBOUR'S CHILD.
30 APRIL 2025
WOMAN SETENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR KILLING HER NEIGHBOUR'S CHILD.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the 30 years direct imprisonment sentence handed down by the Pretoria High Court sitting in Benoni to a Mozambique national residing at from Ratanda, Penina Felipe Sambo (38). This is after she pleaded guilty and was convicted of premeditated murder of 3-year-old girl, Melokuhle Ngwenya and for being illegal in the country. She was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
On 03 April 2024, Melokuhle left her place of residence in Ratanda after receiving money from her grandfather to buy sweets at their neighbours residence. On arrival at the neighbour residence where Sambo resided, she sold her some sweets and thereafter sat with her on the couch. After a few minutes, Sambo began to strangle her to death and thereafter threw her body into a recycle bin outside. When the child did not return home, her mother went to the police station and reported her missing. The police went to Sambos place where the child was last seen. After searching Sambos place the body of the child was found in the dust bin. Sambo was arrested on the scene and has been in custody since.
In her guilty plea, Sambo said she committed the offences because she was acting out of the anger she had towards the mother of the child as she believed that she was having an affair with her boyfriend. Moreover, during sentencing she requested the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence, arguing that she is a first-time offender and her pleading guilty demonstrated remorse. The prosecutor, Advocate Sipho Lalani argued that Sambo was found guilty of serious offenses that are prevalent in the court’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, he said that the deceased was a minor at the time of her death and the family of the deceased are aggrieved by the loss of their child. Therefore, he asked the court to impose a sentence that would send a strong message to society.
When handing down the sentence, the Judge, France Van Der Westhuizen said that he was satisfied with Sambo's guilty plea. He added that even though the law prescribes that a serious sentence of life imprisonment should be given to such crimes he believes that the sentence handed down is appropriate.
Issued by:
Lumka Mahanjana
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division: Pretoria
073 002 000