Killer guard jailed for girlfriend’s murder

"She never provoked this brutal attack. She thought she was safe in your presence, only to lose her life.You betrayed her trust."

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Pretoria - A security guard was jailed for 23 years for his part in strangling his girlfriend to death at an office complex east of the city, before stuffing her body in a shopping trolley and dumping it in a deserted spot nearby.

The unsuspecting victim - Moyagabo Regina Lebepe, 35 - had been invited by her boyfriend Sefiso Hlatswayo, 34, to visit him at work at the Menlyn Woods office complex, on September 11, 2014. But what started off as a friendly visit, ended in her death, when she was strangled with her pantyhose by Hlatswayo, allegedly with the help of his supervisor, Thomas Nhlapo.

While Hlatswayo pleaded guilty, Nhlapo denied any role in the murder during their appearance in the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

They were also charged with defeating the ends of justice, as they hid the body. Nhlapo will go on trial on October 10, while Hlatswayo was convicted on both charges.

Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela sentenced him to an additional eight years for defeating the ends of justice, but he ordered that he only serve 23 years in total.

Earlier Hlatswayo asked Lebepe’s family’s forgiveness in court and said he would take whatever punishment is meted out to him.

He said he had invited his girlfriend to visit him at work on the day of the incident and his supervisor, Nhlapo, allowed him some time alone with her.

They had consensual sex and everything went well, until Nhlapo wanted a “favour”.

Hlatswayo said Nhlapo also wanted to have sex with his girlfriend, as “repayment” for the favour he had done him.

He said he refused, but Nhlapo sent him out of the office to run an errand. According to Hlatswayo, he knew his supervisor was going to force himself on the woman.

He stayed away for about half an hour and on his return, he heard his girlfriend and Nhlapo arguing. When she saw Hlatswayo, she threatened to go to the police to lay a charge of rape against both of them.

“I was afraid. My supervisor said we would both lose our jobs.”

He said they then decided to kill her. “I held her hands behind her back while he strangled her with her pantyhose until she was dead.”

According to him, his supervisor said they had to dispose of her body, or else both of them would go to jail.

“I went to fetch a trolley. When I got back my supervisor had already covered her body in a blanket.”

They placed the body in the trolley and took it to a deserted spot nearby, where they left it. The body was discovered several days later.

Hlatswayo was linked to the incident via his girlfriend’s cellphone, which he had taken.

Judge Maumela said Hlatswayo’s conduct demonstrated his lack of respect for human life.

“She never provoked this brutal attack. She thought she was safe in your presence, only to lose her life.You betrayed her trust.”

He said the “shocking whim” of Hlatswayo’s superior had cost the woman her life. The judge said to make matters worse, the woman’s body was disposed of, so that no one would find out what had happened to her.

He referred to the fact that many South Africans showed disrespect towards women and children through committing violent acts against them and said the courts would not tolerate this.

While Hlatswayo did not rape his girlfriend, he facilitated her rape and he was only too ready to cover up his deeds, the judge said.

zelda.venter@inl.co.za

Pretoria News