A woman who confessed to having her family killed four years ago has been found guilty. Onthantile Sebati (21), her two cousins Tumelo (24) and Kagiso Mokone (24) were convicted for the murders by the Pretoria High Court yesterday. Onthatile was only 15-years-old when she ordered the hit on her mother, her policeman father and two siblings at their home in Mmakau, North West on the 6 December 2016. She paid her cousins who are her co-accused in the matter an amount of R100 000 after she received pension and insurance payouts.

CHARGES

The NPAS's Lumka Mahanjana said the three accused were found guilty of four counts of murder, theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. This is after the state was able to gather evidence that Sebati conspired with her two male cousins to kill her family. "On 6 December 2016, the two Mokone brothers went to Sebati's house to collect her father's firearm. In the evening of that same day, they returned to the house. Sebati went outside pretending to dispose of water but went to open the gate for the two and gave Kagiso her father's car keys of a vehicle that was parked outside. Tumelo then proceeded to enter the house where he shot and killed Sebatis 42-year-old father Lucky Sebati, her 40-year-old mother Mmatshepo, her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso and her six-year-old brother Quinton," said Mahanjana. She said the two then drove off in the vehicle belonging to Onthatile's father, however, they abandoned the vehicle after it got stuck in the mud a few metre away from the house.

CONFESSION

Mahanjana said four years after the incident on the 17 December 2021, Onthatile handed herself to the police and made a confession and exposed her accomplices Tumelo and Kagiso, who were arrested on 18 December 2021. "After their arrest the two also made confessions to the police, stating the role they each played the night Sebati's family was killed. However, during the trial, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges and disputed the confessions. After the trial within a trial, the judge ruled that the confessions were admissible." Prosecutor Advocate Eric Sihlangu then led evidence that indeed Sepati organised a hit against her family and paid the two R50 000 each for the job. Furthermore, Kagiso was also linked to the offence by his fingerprints which were found in the car. During the judgment, the judge agreed with the state that it had overwhelming evidence against the three and the state was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, the three were found guilty of all the charges preferred against them. The matter was postponed to 16-19 April 2024 for sentencing.