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Sinawo Zenani, 26, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court sitting in Butterworth for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Lusanda Sikisi, who was only 27 years at the time of her death.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, said Sikisi had a protection order against Zenani when he murdered her. She had obtained it in 2023. For this violation, Zenani received an additional five-year sentence, to run concurrently with his life sentence.
“The relationship between Zenani and the deceased was marked by violence, prompting Sikisi to secure a protection order on 29 December 2023, which prohibited Zenani from entering her rental property. Sikisi had informed both her neighbours, through a WhatsApp group, and the police about the protection order.” Tyali said Sikisi started working as an administrative clerk at the Willowvale Magistrate’s Court two months before her death.
“On 25 February 2024, Zenani arrived at Sikisi’s residence at Mtshemla Flats, Willowvale, and knocked on her door while calling her name. When the door was not opened, the neighbours, as per their agreement, posted updates in the WhatsApp group about the unfolding situation. Zenani pretended to leave but remained at the premises. When Sikisi eventually opened the door, he forced his way into her flat. Neighbours overheard an argument followed by the chilling screams of the deceased. Shortly after, Zenani emerged from the flat, covered in blood and reportedly told the neighbours in isiXhosa, ‘ndimgqibile’ loosely translated to ‘I have finished her’,” he said.
Zenani fled the scene but later surrendered at the Butterworth police station, located over 70km from the crime scene. Tyali said a post mortem revealed that Sikisi had sustained 55 stab wounds to her upper body. “During the trial, Zenani pleaded not guilty claiming non-pathological temporary insanity due to anger. However, senior state advocate Nkululeko Mzinyati presented nine witnesses, including testimony that Sikisi had been in hiding at friends’ homes in fear of Zenani and had only returned to her flat on the day of the murder to do laundry,” Tyali.
In a heart-wrenching impact statement during sentencing, Tyali said, Sikisi’s mother revealed that Sikisi’s three-year-old child, now an orphan, had lost both parents. The child’s father having was killed in a violent shootout at a funeral, he said.
EC director of public prosecutions, Barry Madolo, welcomed the sentence emphasising the significance of the ruling. “This sentence highlights the NPA’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of femicide and gender-based violence are severely punished to deter others. The NPA continues to prosecute hundreds of such cases daily to protect the vulnerable and deliver justice for victims,” Madolo said.
NEWS24