A handyman who killed a doctor and burned her domestic worker to death has been sentenced to two life sentences by the Johannesburg High Court. Wilson Rihlamfu (36) killed Dr Memory Mathe and her domestic worker Pretty Moyo, in August 2019, at her Zakariyya Park home in Johannesburg. Rilamfhu was sentenced to a further five years imprisonment for arson and another 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. He was charged together with Ronnie Khovane (31), who was acquitted on all charges.

THEY KNEW AND TRUSTED HIM

On 29 August 2019, Rihlamfu was hired by the Mathes to do repairs on their leaking roof, as he was known to the family and normally did handy work at their home. Rihlamfu asked Khovane to assist him, at a fee. National Prosecuting Authority’s Phindi Mjonondwane said Dr Mathe was at home with her helper who was in the backroom on that fateful day. "While Rihlamfu was working, he had a disagreement with Mathe about the payment for his labour, which resulted in him strangling Mathe," she said. Mjonondwane said thereafter, Rihlamfu bought petrol and set the back room, where Moyo was, on fire. Moyo died in the fire. "The accused then proceeded to take items from the main house, packed them into Mathe’s vehicle, and fled the scene. Mathe’s neighbour saw flames coming from the back room and rushed to see the cause. She stumbled upon the bodies of Mathe and Moyo. Firefighters, paramedics, and the police were summoned to the scene,"

MET BY A TRAGEDY

Louis Mathe, the deceased’s husband, arrived as the crowd and police gathered outside his home, and immediately knew something was wrong. He entered the main house and saw his wife’s lifeless body. Mathe was further pointed to the back room that was destroyed by fire with another deceased body in it, which he later confirmed as their domestic worker. He further realised that his wife’s vehicle was missing. "With the help of the police, he managed to call the car tracking company and was informed that the car was found in the vicinity of Braamfontein, and Rihlamfu has been arrested. The accused then told the police that he committed the offences together with Khovane, who was arrested in a taxi in Limpopo. In arguing for a firm sentence, Advocate Deborah Zinn put forward to the court that the brutal killings of the deceased showed that the accused have little to no respect for the law," added Mjonondwane.

FAMILY PLEASED

In a statement after the sentencing, Dr Mathe’s family said while this should be a moment of celebration, it has unfortunately reopened the wounds that were slowly healing. "We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have stood by us, both physically and in spirit, throughout this harrowing journey. Although many more women have been murdered in South Africa since August 2019, we pray that such a tragedy never occurs to our family and any other family for that matter and that our departed loved ones may find eternal peace in the realm beyond," the statement read.