An Eastern Cape man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of a brutal crime. Bantubenkosi Siqotyana, 35, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Nombeko Thobigunya, in December 2023.
The Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha heard that Siqotyana gruesomely dismembered Thobigunya’s body and disposed of the parts in multiple pit toilets to hide the murder.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali explained that Thobigunya was reported missing by her family on December 13, 2023. She had last been seen with Siqotyana 12 days prior. A human hand was later discovered in the village of Thembeni in the Zandukwana area of Libode District, being eaten by a dog. The hand was identified by a friend of Thobigunya, who recognized the nail polish she had applied before her disappearance.
Community members, alerted by the discovery, severely assaulted Siqotyana before he led them to the locations where he had disposed of the body parts. The police were called, and Siqotyana admitted to the crime, pointing out the remains at several pit toilets.
Initially, Siqotyana pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice but admitted to violating a corpse. He claimed Thobigunya had died from food poisoning and that he dismembered her body to avoid suspicion. However, Advocate Siphokazi Maarman challenged this plea, presenting witnesses, including one who saw Siqotyana assaulting Thobigunya, and a doctor who confirmed stab wounds on her neck, disproving the food poisoning claim.
The court’s decision to impose a life sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the evidence presented during the trial.
