Ex-boyfriend gets life for murdering mother of three in a fire case
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A 49-year-old man was handed a life sentence by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for the 2022 murder of his 35-year-old ex-girlfriend in a tragic house fire.
After ending their relationship due to domestic violence, Velly Ngondwe from Moholoka, Brits, took the life of Pracous Sphiwe Ndlovu.
Lumka Mahanjana, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, revealed that despite Ndlovu ending the relationship, Ngondwe relentlessly assaulted her, ignoring her pleas for help even after she reported him to community leaders and at the taxi rank where he worked. On August 29, 2022, Ngondwe torched Ndlovu’s business shack.
He then tried to set Ndlovu’s house ablaze, but a neighbor stepped in and doused the flames. Undeterred, Ngondwe enlisted a friend to smash a window, planning to pour petrol inside to execute his deadly scheme. While the friend refused to help, he did buy Ngondwe five liters of petrol, according to Mahanjana.
On October 1, 2022, Ngondwe cruised by Ndlovu’s house and chillingly warned her three children, aged 12, 15, and 17, that they were breathing their last that day. The following day, Ngondwe came back to Ndlovu’s home and ignited it while she and her children were asleep inside.
“The children sustained minor injuries, while Ndlovu suffered severe burns while attempting to rescue them. Sadly, she later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital,” said Mahanjana.
Ngondwe was arrested the next day and remains in custody after being denied bail. During the trial, he pleaded not guilty, claiming he was with another girlfriend when the crime occurred.
However, the State presented compelling evidence that firmly connected him to the crime.
In addition, he received a 15-year sentence for each of the two counts of attempted murder and five years for arson, all to be served concurrently with his life sentence.
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