Ntuthuko Shoba’s application for leave to appeal his murder conviction and life sentence has been rejected by the High Court in Johannesburg.
In July, Shoba was sentenced to life imprisonment for orchestrating the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Tshegofatso Pule. Pule was eight months pregnant when she was brutally murdered in June 2020.
Shoba applies for leave to appeal
Members of Tshegofatso Pule’s family say they feel that Ntuthuko Shoba is simply opening the scars of their wounds.
This after Shoba approached the High Court in Johannesburg to seek leave to appeal his conviction and sentence.
Muzikayise Malepane, who Shoba had hired, killed her.
Pule’s uncle Tumisang Katake said Shoba had no strong grounds on which to appeal. Katake was speaking before Shoba appeared in court.
“It’s just wasting not only our time but also the court’s time. Shoba’s version was rejected, so I don’t see the reason why it should again be heard here in court. He can appeal until he turns blue, I don’t see this appeal being granted on Monday. We were beginning to get there as a family, to get used to the idea and also live with the idea that at least as a family, we fought, we won the battle, but now that process will be interrupted again by this kind of application.”
Pule’s family not surprised that her killer is appealing his sentence
Pule’s family says they were not surprised that Ntuthuko Shoba is appealing his sentence.
Katake says, “I don’t think I’m surprised with the stunts of Mr Shoba, we saw it coming. And I am hoping that at the end of this day, or at the end of this process, we will be able to get back to the process of mourning and reconciling that Tshego is no more, without these interruptions.”
In January 2022, convicted killer Muzi Malepane described how he and alleged mastermind, Shoba, plotted to kill Pule. Mlepane admitted to being paid R70 000 for the hit on the pregnant 28-year-old.