The Nongoma Regional Court in KwaZulu Natal sentenced Sphamandla Buthelezi (29) to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Gabisile Sithole in October 2022, in the Pongola area. 

Buthelezi and Sithole shared a room and witnesses in court testified that they would often argue with each other resulting in Buthelezi assaulting Sithole. KwaZulu Natal NPA spokesperson Natasha Remisson-Kara said the witnesses testified that after the assault, the couple would then reconcile. "On the evening of the incident, Buthelezi began assaulting Sithole and she ran to one of the neighbours for assistance. When neighbours tried to intervene, he threatened to assault them as well and dragged her back to their room," Kara said. She added that the neighbours eventually called the police who discovered Sithole's bruised body. 

Post-mortem results showed abrasions all over her body, multiple sjamboks injuries and the cause of death being blunt force trauma to her body. Kara added that Buthelezi was immediately arrested. In court Buthelezi maintained his innocence, saying that Sithole was robbed and assaulted by someone else and that he had only hit her with the heel of a shoe. State prosecutor Busisiwe Mfeka led the testimonies of the neighbours who had witnessed the assault, as well as the evidence of the police official who attended the scene. The court rejected Buthelezi's version of the events. "In aggravation of the sentence, Mfeka submitted a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by Sithole's sister and facilitated by court preparation officer Bhekithemba Hopewell Sithole. In her statement, the woman said that their family is still grieving their loss. She asked the court to impose the strictest sentence as Buthelezi had committed a gruesome offence. She also said that Buthelezi was a terrible person who beat Sithole daily. Buthelezi was sentenced accordingly and the court deemed him unfit to possess a firearm" she said.