'I was drunk when I attacked Amantle Samane': killer admits guilt
The details of how he kidnapped the girl and took her to his backyard shack are contained in his plea statement.
The Mozambican, who worked as a welder, pleaded guilty to charges of rape, kidnapping, murder and contravention of the Immigration Act in the Johannesburg high court on Friday.
'On the day [October 21 2024] I was drinking whisky with my friend on the streets and I saw Amantle playing on the street and called her,' he said in the plea statement.
'I took her to my shack without her permission.
'I left her in my shack and went outside to buy beer. I prevented her from leaving.'
On his return he undressed, raped and strangled her.
'I was aware that killing someone was wrongful and unlawful and punishable by the law.'
Amantle was playing with other children across the street from her home that day. Her mother Ntombizodwa was preparing clothes for her child's grade R graduation ceremony and completing other household chores, TimesLIVE reported previously.
When she finished, she looked outside and saw Amantle was not there. She began searching and made the discovery of her child's body, partially undressed and covered in a blanket, only a few doors away.
The court is expected to deliver its verdict later on Friday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Enhancing protection for lesbians: Key discussions on gender-based violence at the National Dialogue
Participants at the gender and gender-based violence dialogue lab at the first national convention of the National Dialogue at the University of South Africa's main campus in Pretoria. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers The scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) has taken centre stage at the first national convention of the National Dialogue, with calls for enhanced protection of lesbians. During the dialogue labs to discuss 10 different themes, the gender and GBV theme saw a number of challenges raised by Johannesburg-based human rights organisation Iranti, which warned against attempts to erase lesbian women in terms of reporting GBV. Iranti programmes manager Ntuthuzo Ndzomo said the fear of reporting cases stems from authorities being quick to judge lesbians. He told the dialogue lab that GBV cases were more likely to reach the mainstream if they involve a middle class black or white woman. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Ndzomo made the example of a case Iranti tried to report in uMlazi, eThekwini, of a pastor who publicly called for lesbians to be killed, but they were met with bureaucratic brick walls. 'Lesbians reporting GBV are asked what they were doing while dating another woman,' he explained. Ndzomo said one of the reasons organisations such as Iranti decided to participate in the national convention was the much publicised decision by legacy foundations to withdraw from the two-day convention. 'We felt it was important to participate and show that these foundations do not even have members,' he added. A number of political parties, trade unions, and interest groups publicly announced their snubbing of the gathering. Opening the national convention on Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the event was a space where South Africans will share their views and make suggestions without hesitation and also be direct and honest. He said during the national convention, there will need to be difficult conversations about many issues, including why South African women have to live in fear of the country's men. 'We as the men of South Africa must begin to internalise this question, why do the women of South Africa fear us – in the streets, in the classrooms and even in our homes? We need to ask ourselves those questions,' said Ramaphosa. He asked: 'Why, when we have a Bill of Rights, are LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and intersex) people still discriminated against, stigmatised, and harassed?' Iranti's Peace Maquba said they were not sure whether to put intersex issues under youth and children because it does not necessarily fit perfectly into the LGBTQI+ space but does for intersex adults. Maquba, a representative of the intersex community in Africa, explained that they work for the intersex community, which are people outside the binary based on their sex characteristics. 'It is visible for some intersex people at birth, who are born with ambiguous genitalia, who are then forced to pick a binary, parents are coerced to pick a binary for their children, which is intersex genital mutilation,' Maquba said. According to Maquba, this affects children and teenagers in schools who get bullied as other intersex people start showing they are intersex at puberty. 'Some intersex people's bodies develop differently and then they go through bullying, then they drop out of school because of the harmful behaviours that they experience,' added Maquba. The gender and GBV dialogue lab on Friday was attended by Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, ANC Treasurer-General Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, and Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, chairperson of the Commission for the Promotion of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities.

IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Child rapist awaits sentencing for the rape and murder of six-year-old Amantle Samane
The funeral service for six-year-old Amantle Samane, who was raped and killed by Mozambican national Sara Simiao, drew large crowds of Orlando East, Soweto, last year. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers Convicted child killer and rapist, Sara Pete Simiao, will hear his fate next week, where the court will sentence him for the rape and murder of six-year-old Amantle Samane in Orlando East during October last year. The Mozambican national Simiao, 25, pleaded guilty to four charges of kidnapping, rape, murder and contravention of the Immigration Act. The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division in Johannesburg, convicted him on all counts. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, said State advocates Zamikhaya Staffa and Matshediso Phatlanyane presented the charges in court. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'In his plea, through his counsel, Simiao admitted to all charges. He provided a detailed recounting of the horrific acts he committed, confessing that he was under the influence of alcohol and had strangled the victim to conceal the rape. 'On the day of the incident, the six-year-old's mother, with the help of the Orlando East community, searched for her missing daughter. A witness, who had earlier seen the child walking with Simiao, who he knew was not a relative, became suspicious and led the community members to a shack where the child's lifeless, half-naked body was found. 'After an extensive search and investigation, the suspect was located and arrested by police in Zola, Soweto, on 23 October 2024,' said Mjonondwane. The high court reviewed all aspects of the plea, found him guilty as charged, and adjourned the case to August 19 for sentencing. Mjonondwane said: 'Each of these successful prosecutions is the culmination of months and even years of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work and exemplifies hundreds of similar cases prosecuted successfully daily.' Amantle was tragically raped and murdered just a month before her Grade R graduation and the day before her graduation photo session.

The Herald
11 hours ago
- The Herald
Law firm to be appointed to probe death of Alberton pupil
The Gauteng education department says it is finalising the process of appointing an independent investigative law firm to probe the death of a grade 3 boy pupil from Alberview Primary School in Alberton. 'It is alleged that the learner passed away at hospital on Friday, August 1, after sustaining an injury on the school field that morning. The independent investigation will probe circumstances surrounding this tragic incident,' Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said. He said the family and all stakeholders would be engaged once the department has the independent investigative law firm aboard for necessary introductions and to outline the terms of reference. 'We are hopeful that this investigation will uncover the facts behind the learner's passing, ensuring accountability,' Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said. TimesLIVE