‘Ndimgqibile’, (meaning I finished her) were the chilling words an Eastern Cape murderer told his girlfriend’s neighbours after he killed her in her apartment.
Sinawo Musa Zenani, 26, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Eastern Cape High Court sitting in Butterworth for the murder of 27-year-old Lusanda Sikisi.
Zenani was also convicted for contravening a protection order that had been granted to his girlfriend, who was employed as an administrative clerk at the Willowvale Magistrate’s Court, two months before her death.
For violating the protection, he was sentenced to an additional five years imprisonment ordered to run concurrently with his life sentence.
During the trial the court heard the relationship between the couple was marred by violence, prompting Sikisi to secure a protection order on December 29, 2023, which prohibited Zenani from entering her rental property. Sikisi informed both her neighbours, through a WhatsApp group, and the police about the protection order.
On February 25, 2024, the court heard Zenani arrived at Sikisi’s residence in Mtshemla Flats in Willowvale and knocked on her door, calling her name. When the door was not opened, the neighbours, as per their agreement, posted updates about the situation in the WhatsApp group.
Zenani pretended to leave but remained on the premises and when Sikisi eventually opened her door, he forced his way into her apartment.
Neighbours overheard an argument followed by what has been described as chilling screams of the woman. Once it got silent, Zenani emerged from the flat, covered in blood and told the neighbours in isiXhosa ‘ndimgqibile’, which loosely translates to ‘I have finished her’.
He then fled the scene but later handed himself over at the Butterworth police station, more than 70 kilometres from the crime scene.
The postmortem revealed that Sikisi sustained 55 stab wounds to her upper body.
While Zenani pleaded not guilty, he further pleaded temporary insanity due to anger.
Senior State Advocate, Nkululeko Mzinyati called witnesses who testified the young woman had been hiding out at her friends’ homes in fear of Zenani and only returned home on the day of the murder to do her laundry.
The court heard Sikisi’s daughter has now been orphaned after she lost her father during a shootout at a funeral.
Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Barry Madolo welcomed the sentencing.
“This sentence highlights the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of femicide and gender-based violence are severely punished to deter others. The NPA continues prosecuting hundreds of such cases daily to protect the vulnerable and deliver justice for victims,” Madolo said.
-IOL
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