Bongiwe Praise Magwaza, 23, Sentenced to 39 Years for Murder of Police Sergeant
Bongiwe Praise Magwaza, 23, has been sentenced to 39 years in prison for the murder of her boyfriend, 36-year-old police sergeant Kgopotso Ntsana, in South Africa. The Johannesburg High Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday, 14 August 2024.
Sentencing Breakdown:
– Count 1: Murder- 20 years
– Count 2: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm – 7 years
-Count 3: Unlawful Possession of Ammunition-5 years
– Count 4: Defeating the Ends of Justice- 7 years
Magwaza has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Ntsana, stationed at the Elsburg police station in Germiston, City of Ekurhuleni, was shot and killed by his girlfriend following her infidelity. The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime team presented overwhelming evidence at the trial, leading to Magwaza’s conviction on four counts, including murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice. She was found guilty on Monday, 1 July 2024.
Incident Details:
According to Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Gauteng, the incident occurred on Friday, 2 December 2022, around 22:30. The couple, who lived together in Leomakalapa near Windmill Park Estate in Boksburg, engaged in a heated argument that escalated into a physical altercation. Magwaza stabbed Ntsana multiple times with scissors and then shot him in the head at close range using his own firearm. She attempted to stage the scene to appear as a suicide, placing the gun beside Ntsana’s body. After spending the night with another boyfriend in Germiston, Magwaza returned the next day and informed neighbours that Ntsana had apparently taken his own life, prompting the authorities to respond to the scene.
Investigation and Charges:
Initially, an inquest docket was opened at the Dawn Park police station, with blood spatter experts and crime scene reconstruction specialists examining the scene. Magwaza was detained for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) after admitting to stabbing Ntsana but denying responsibility for his death.
On 6 December 2022, the case was not brought to court due to insufficient evidence. However, Captain Sizwe Sibeko from the Hawks’ National Priority Violent Crimes (NPVC) apprehended Magwaza based on a forensic report that refuted the suicide theory due to inconsistencies at the crime scene. Magwaza was then formally charged with murder and appeared in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on 7 December. She was released on R1,000 bail in January 2023 after multiple court appearances.
Her bail was revoked on 22 November 2023 after she exhibited erratic behaviour, leading to a referral to Sterkfontein for mental evaluation. The facility declared her fit to stand trial, and she has been in custody since then, culminating in the recent sentencing proceedings that began on Monday, 12 August.
