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Zinhle Maditla receives four life sentences

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Zinhle Maditla, who has been convicted of killing her four children, has been given four life sentences by the High Court sitting in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

Earlier this week, when Maditla testified in mitigation of sentence, she asked the court to give her a life imprisonment for her crimes after pleading guilty to killing her children.

The 24-year-old woman had pleaded guilty to intentionally poisoning her children at Klarinet in Emalahleni in December last year due to the anger she had against her boyfriend.

This is how Judge Segopotje Mphahlele handed down the judgment,”I am of the considered view that the life imprisonment on each of the murder counts is the appropriate sentence and as a result I sentence the accused as follows for the murder of the little Minenhle Maditla, you’re hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. In respect of the murder of the little Blessing Maditla, you’re hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. In respect of the murder of Shaniqua Maditla,  you’re hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. In respect of the murder of the little Ivan Maditla, you’re also sentenced to life imprisonment.”

Judge Mphahlele said Maditla should have asked for help. She says Maditla had ample time to reconsider executing her children. Maditla waited for three days to tell anyone but by then the children’s bodies were in a state of decomposition. Judge Mphahlele also found contradictions in Maditla’s mitigation of sentence earlier this week.

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