News Desk Reporter
A dispute over a goat has ended with a 20-year prison sentence for an Mpumalanga man convicted of killing a woman he knew.
John Bhutini Zwane, 42, was sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Breyten, for murder and defeating the ends of justice.
Zwane and Zenzile Rose Magubane knew each other and lived in the same area in Piet Retief, within the uMkhondo Local Municipality.
The court heard that Zwane bought a goat on 2 May 2025 for use in a cleansing ceremony. The following day, he was told that the goat belonged to Magubane.
After a relative contacted him about collecting the animal, Zwane arranged to meet Magubane to resolve the dispute.
The meeting turned violent when an argument escalated into a physical confrontation. Zwane strangled Magubane, killing her.
He then tried to conceal the crime by burying her naked in a shallow grave and throwing her clothing into a nearby forest.
Zwane later handed himself over to police and took part in a pointing-out process that assisted the investigation.
The State successfully opposed his bail application, and he remained in custody until the case was finalised.
The sentence followed a plea and sentence agreement between Zwane and the State under Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
In mitigation, the defence highlighted that Zwane had not used a weapon and was a first-time offender.
The State argued that the court should consider the impact of Magubane’s death on her family, particularly her children.
Advocate Amos Mtshweni, who represented the State, also highlighted the treatment of Magubane’s body and the wider context of gender-based violence.
Zwane was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for murder and five years for defeating the ends of justice. The five-year sentence will run concurrently with the murder sentence.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
NPA Mpumalanga regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa welcomed the outcome.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence as an important affirmation that perpetrators of serious violent crimes will be held accountable for their actions,” Nyuswa said.