Pretoria Woman Sentenced To 25 Years For Role In Entire Family Murders
A Pretoria High Court has sentenced 24-year-old Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for her involvement in the brutal 2016 murders of her parents, pregnant sister, and younger brother. Judge Mashudu Munzhelele, who presided over the case, described her participation as a “profound betrayal” of her family.
Sebati’s cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, who also played a role in the killings, were handed life sentences. The horrific crime claimed the lives of Sebati’s father, police constable Solomon Lucky Sebati, her mother Mmatshepo, a nurse, her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso, and her three-year-old brother Quinton. The family members were all shot inside their home in Mmakau, North West, when Sebati was just 15 years old, while her cousins were 18 at the time.
Judge Munzhelele highlighted the emotional devastation caused by the crime, particularly the fact that a family member was involved. “The murder of four individuals, including parents and children, is a heinous act of violence, and the fact that the accused, a family member, was an accomplice intensifies the emotional devastation and seriousness of the crime,” the judge remarked.
The court heard that Onthatile orchestrated the killings, enlisting her cousins to carry out the murders. She provided access to the family home and handed them her father’s service firearm. Kagiso shot the family members, while Tumelo waited in the getaway vehicle. Following the murders, Onthatile paid her cousins R100,000 from insurance payouts.
Five years after the crime, in a shocking confession to relatives, Onthatile revealed her involvement, leading to their arrests. They were charged with theft, four counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm and ammunition. The trio was found guilty earlier this year.
The court acknowledged the lasting impact of the crime on the surviving Sebati family members, who have struggled with mental health issues as a result of the tragedy. Judge Munzhelele declared the three defendants unfit to possess firearms and granted them two weeks to appeal their sentences.
Onthatile’s aunt, Japhitaline Sebati, praised the sentencing as “justice served” but expressed sorrow over her niece’s choices. “It is painful to see such an intelligent child waste her future, but I hope she gets rehabilitated,” she said.
