A Pretoria high court judge has described the involvement of a daughter in the murd3r of her parents, pregnant sister, and brother as a profound betrayal.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele sentenced 24-year-old Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for her role in the 2016 k!llings, while her cousins Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone were handed life sentences.
The horrific incident saw the d3aths of Onthatile'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, all shot in their home in Mmakau, North West. Onthatile was 15 years old at the time of the k!llings, while her cousins were both 18.
Judge Munzhelele remarked on the emotional devastation caused by the crime, particularly the involvement of a family member. "The murd3r of four individuals, including parents and children, is a heinous act of violence, and the fact that accused number two [Onthatile], a family member, was an accomplice in the k!lling of her family intensifies the emotional devastation and the seriousness of the crime," the judge stated.
According to the state, Onthatile planned the k!llings and enlisted her cousins to carry out the crime, even providing them access to the house and her father's service firearm. Kagiso shot the family while Tumelo waited in the getaway vehicle. After the murd3rs, Onthatile paid her cousins R100,000 from insurance payouts.
In a shocking turn of events, five years after the crime, Onthatile confessed to relatives, leading to their arrests. They were charged with theft, four counts of murd3r, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and were found guilty earlier this year.
The court heard that Onthatile's betrayal has left deep emotional scars on the Sebati family, with relatives struggling with mental health issues stemming from the tragedy. The judge declared the trio unfit to possess firearms and gave them two weeks to appeal their sentences.
Onthatile's aunt, Japhitaline Sebati, hailed the sentencing as "justice served," adding, "It is painful to see such an intelligent child waste her future, but I hope she gets rehabilitated."
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