After more than five years of legal proceedings, the Thohoyandou High Court in Vhembe has sentenced 46-year-old Lidzahde Tendani to 18 years in prison for the brutal murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend.
The sentencing took place on Wednesday, February 12.
The court found that on December 1, 2019, Tendani assaulted his girlfriend to death with a wooden stick at around 5.40pm in the Mphephu policing precinct.
The violent act stemmed from his suspicions that she was having an affair.
After the fatal assault, Tendani attempted to cover up the crime, but it backfired on him.
"The accused carried the motionless body of the victim to his vehicle's backseat and drove to another household in Matanda village, where he requested water. He then poured the water over the victim," said police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
Concerned community members alerted the police, who swiftly responded, only to find that the woman had already succumbed to her injuries.
Following his arrest, the case was handed over to Detective Sergeant Patricia Tshivhula who spearheaded the investigation that eventually led to Tendani’s conviction.
Despite the severity of the crime, Tendani was granted R1,000 bail until his sentencing.
When the guilty verdict was delivered, the commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the decision by the court and praised the investigating officer and everyone involved in the case.
IOL NEWS