The Pretoria High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Ntabiseng Tlali, 42, and her friend, Lineo Ralitsa, 39, to life imprisonment for murder.
Tlali and her friend Ralitsa, both from Boipatong, plotted the murder of her husband, David Malewa Tlali.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, in June 2024, Tlali contacted her friend, Ralitsa, and asked her to organise hitmen to kill her husband.
Ralitsa then contacted her ex-boyfriend, who assisted in sourcing two male Lesotho nationals to carry out the murder.
On 11 August 2024, the two men arrived at Ralitsa’s residence and spent the night there. In the early hours of the following morning, Ralitsa received a call from Tlali informing her that her husband had arrived home.
The two men then proceeded to the deceased’s residence, accosted him at the gate, and fatally shot him in the head before fleeing the scene.
The matter was reported to the police, and during investigations, the police received information from an informant alleging that Tlali and Ralitsa had organised hitmen to kill the deceased. On 20 November 2024, Tlali was arrested at her workplace in Sharpeville. Two days later, Ralitsa handed herself over at the Boipatong Police Station.
Wife claims husband abused her
In court, both Tlali and Ralitsa pleaded guilty to the charge. Tlali claimed that she had her husband killed because he had allegedly abused her.
During sentencing proceedings, both accused, through their legal representatives, requested the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. Tlali submitted that she is a first offender, a primary caregiver, and that her guilty plea demonstrated remorse and saved the court’s time.
Ralitsa submitted that she is a first offender and argued that her role was limited to assisting in the commission of the offence.
However, State Advocate Mokautu Masilo argued that the accused were convicted of an extremely serious offence, particularly in the context of violent crime in South Africa. He further argued that both women had several opportunities to report the incident to the police but failed to do so.
Advocate Masilo further submitted that the guilty pleas were motivated not by genuine remorse, but by the overwhelming evidence against the accused.
The State also presented a Victim Impact Statement facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Sellwane Lenkoane, in which the deceased’s sister described him as the family’s breadwinner and explained the devastating emotional impact of his death on the family. She further stated that their mother’s health had deteriorated significantly following the murder.
Multiple insurance payouts after husband’s murder
The court agreed with the State that the accused may regret their actions, but had failed to demonstrate genuine remorse. The Judge also remarked that the involvement of foreign nationals in the commission of the crime fuels tensions and negative perceptions regarding crimes committed by foreign nationals in South Africa.
Furthermore, the court found that if Tlali had indeed been subjected to abuse, lawful avenues existed for her to seek protection and assistance. The court concluded that the murder appeared to have been financially motivated, particularly as Tlali received multiple insurance payouts following the deceased’s death.
Consequently, the court found no substantial and compelling circumstances warranting a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence and sentenced both accused to life imprisonment.
Friendship and murder plots
This is not the first case of its kind, as murders for insurance payouts are increasingly being exposed in South Africa.
On Wednesday, 20 May, the Kempton Park Regional Court found Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu and her co-accused, Nomsa Mudau, guilty of incitement to commit murder.
According to the state, the two conspired to kill Nomsa’s ex-husband, Justice Mudau, in 2018 for insurance payouts.
Justice and Nomsa have since separated, following their divorce, which was finalised in November 2021.
Senior State Advocate Riana Williams argued for the State and submitted that the evidence presented by State witnesses was consistent, corroborative, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt that both accused had incited and procured the commission of murder.
The State argued that Ndlovu initiated the chain of events by contacting the hitmen and arranging assistance for her friend, while Nomsa directly engaged with the hitmen and repeatedly requested that her husband be killed.
The court found that the State had successfully proven the alternative charge of incitement, instigation or command of a person to commit murder.
The matter was postponed to 15 July 2026 for the compilation of pre-sentence reports and sentencing proceedings.
