Businessman Sibusiso Zitha (41) has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, pastry chef Thembekile Letlape, at the Johannesburg High Court on Friday.
Delivering judgment, Judge Shanaaz Nia noted that Zitha had shown remorse and taken responsibility for his actions. He admitted to stabbing Letlape seven times during an argument at their Johannesburg home in May 2024.
Zitha told the court that while his relationship with Letlape was generally good, frequent arguments often escalated. On the day of the killing, one such dispute turned violent.
Judge Nia considered mitigating factors, including the fact that Zitha handed himself over to police, confessed to the crime, and spent more than a year in custody awaiting trial. She also weighed his responsibilities as a father to young children.
However, Letlape’s family expressed deep disappointment with the sentence, saying they had hoped for a life term. Her grieving mother collapsed in tears outside the courtroom, where she was comforted by relatives and friends.
The case has reignited conversations about gender-based violence and sentencing for femicide in South Africa, with activists warning that lenient sentences risk undermining justice for victims.
