WOMAN sentenced for killing her stepchild.
Clara Masinga has been sentenced to 23 years direct imprisonment for the murder of her stepdaughter.
The 36-year-old Masinga was sentenced in the Mbombela High Court on Wednesday, 15 October after she entered into a plea agreement with the state.
She admitted to the court that she planned to kill Jennifer Gumbi on 21 March 2015. Speaking through her lawyer, Malesela Kekana, she said on the day of the incident, she asked Jennifer's friend to fetch her and bring her to her house.
When Jennifer arrived, Masinga made her wait for her aunt. She said she then went to a local shop and bought rat poison, which she crushed into Jennifer's ice cream.
Masinga said they waited for Jennifer to die and her aunt then poured boiling water on her claiming she wanted to wake her up.
Jennifer's body was found dumped in a shallow ditch.
The aunt has not been arrested yet.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Lindelwa Vukeya, highlighted the country's prevalence on gender-based violence. She said issues of violence continue to be a problem, especially for women and kids.
"It's an issue that we should take seriously, especially when we have to pass a sentence, that is when our voice should be heard in the public and we cannot tolerate such violent crimes.
"The offence that you are facing is serious. It involves a minor child. This child was innocent, and she did nothing to you. You were in love with the child's father and the only thing that drove you to kill this child is jealousy," she said.
Vukeya further indicated that the accused had shown no mercy.
"I hear in your plea that you actually despise the mother of the child and for you to go through this was wrong. Being a mother yourself, you didn't even think twice when you killed this child.
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"This makes me wonder whether you deserve to be a mother or not. Although I have been asked to deviate from the prescribed sentence, I still feel that 23 years could be long like I said because I don't think you deserve to be out," she said.
"Although you will still be able to see your child and communicate with her, the mother of the deceased is no longer in possession to communicate with her child because she has lost her child. I think that the fact that you are going to be taken out of your child's life's is good punishment for you."
Jennifer's mum, Constance Mashele (36) told Daily Sun she is happy Masinga has been sentenced although her kid will not come back.
"I'm happy with the 23 years sentence. I still don't understand why she said she hated me because I was no longer living with the father of my child. I had done nothing to her that would make her hate me, she hated my child.
"The sentence will give us closure. We are happy and satisfied with the sentence. This is good punishment for her," she said.
