By Kopano Dibakwane
Jacques Jacobus Alwyn Botha(33) has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court on Thursday 13 February 2025, after he was found guilty for the murder of 39-year-old woman identified as Zodwa Angelina Sibiya.
The murder of Sibiya reportedly took place at a certain farm in Vogelspruitspoort, near Belfast, on 18 October 2024.
According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane, Botha picked up Sibiya(said to be a sex worker) from a street in Belfast and headed to the farm where he resided. The duo reportedly drank some alcohol beverages before engaging in intimacy.
“ The lady is said to have been intoxicated to a point that she started to make some noise inside the house, which irritated the accused who tried to stop her several times, but with no success,” said Lt-Col Ndubane.
It is alleged that numerous attempts by the accused to put the deceased to sleep where futile and he eventually strangled the lady with his bare hands as well as her underwear, until she lost consciousness.
“ After realising that she was dead, he wrapped her body with a carpet, then dumped her inside a hole and concealed the scene with some stones. He was consumed by guilt and realised that his actions were uncalled for. He then went and handed himself to the police in Belfast and related the story of what he did,” said Lt-Col Ndubane.
The court sentenced Botha to 18 years in prison for murder and 7 years for defeating the ends of justice. The 7-year sentence will run concurrently with the 18-year sentence, resulting in an effective 20-year prison term. Botha was reportedly also declared unfit to carry a firearm.
The sentence was welcomed by Mpumalanga Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major-General(Dr)Zeph Mkhwanazi.
