Judge Mashudu Munzhelele sentenced 24-year-old Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for her role in the 2016 k!llings, while her cousins Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone were handed life sentences.
The horrific incident saw the d3aths of
Onthatile’s father, police constable Solomon Lucky Sebati, her mother
Mmatshepo, a nurse, her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso, and her
three-year-old brother Quinton, all shot in their home in Mmakau, North West.
Onthatile was 15 years old at the time of the k!llings, while her cousins were
both 18.
Judge Munzhelele remarked on the emotional
devastation caused by the crime, particularly the involvement of a family
member. "The murd3r of four individuals, including parents and children,
is a heinous act of violence, and the fact that accused number two [Onthatile],
a family member, was an accomplice in the k!lling of her family intensifies the
emotional devastation and the seriousness of the crime," the judge stated.
According to the state, Onthatile planned
the k!llings and enlisted her cousins to carry out the crime, even providing
them access to the house and her father's service firearm. Kagiso shot the
family while Tumelo waited in the getaway vehicle. After the murd3rs, Onthatile
paid her cousins R100,000 from insurance payouts.
In a shocking turn of events, five years
after the crime, Onthatile confessed to relatives, leading to their arrests.
They were charged with theft, four counts of murd3r, robbery with aggravating
circumstances, and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and were found
guilty earlier this year.
The court heard that Onthatile's betrayal
has left deep emotional scars on the Sebati family, with relatives struggling
with mental health issues stemming from the tragedy. The judge declared the
trio unfit to possess firearms and gave them two weeks to appeal their
sentences.
Onthatile’s aunt, Japhitaline Sebati,
hailed the sentencing as "justice served," adding, “It is painful to
see such an intelligent child waste her future, but I hope she gets rehabilitated.”
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