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The Citizen
15-05-2025
- The Citizen
Pretoria couple sentenced for brutal murder of 1-year-old daughter
A Pretoria couple who inflicted severe injuries on their one-year-old daughter — including broken ribs, bruises and bite marks — has been sentenced for her murder, with the father receiving life imprisonment and the mother 15 years behind bars. Pretoria Rekord reports that, according to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the couple, Joseph Molwana (25), a Mozambican national, and the mother (who cannot be named as she was a minor at the time of the crime) lived in Soshanguve. 'Molwana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his one-year-old daughter, Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe. [The mother], who was a minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for the same offence, in terms of the Child Justice Act [75 of 2008].' Mahanjana says both were further sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. 'In addition, Molwana received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in the country illegally. 'The court ordered that all sentences for Molwana run concurrently with the life sentence. The court also declared both accused unfit to work with children and unfit to possess firearms.' She says the couple was at the mother's home when they woke up that morning on May 15, 2022, and realised that their one-year-old daughter was not responsive. 'They went to call their neighbours. When the neighbours arrived, they realised that the child was dead. 'They then called family, community members and the police. On arrival, the police arrested the couple on the scene.' In court, both accused pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware of what had happened to the child. They said the child had been crying the previous night, but they did not know what was wrong and eventually fell asleep. However, State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises and bite marks on her body. Mahanjana says during sentencing proceedings, the defence argued for a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing Molwana's status as a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and the mother's status as a minor at the time, lacking parental guidance. 'However, prosecutor Du Preez asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment because the couple deliberately committed serious offences of abuse towards their own child, who was only a year old. Furthermore, Du Preez argued that the community was outraged by this offence, and their hopes are on the courts to send a message by the sentence imposed.' In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals. 'The NPA hopes this sentence sends a strong message that gender-based violence and crimes against children remain a priority and will be prosecuted without fear or favour,' says Mahanjana. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- The Citizen
Parents sentenced for murder and abuse of one-year-old daughter
The judge found the couple showed no remorse for abusing and killing their one-year-old daughter, Sphesihle. The Pretoria North Magistrate's Court sent a strong message against crimes targeting children by sentencing a couple for brutally murdering and abusing their one-year-old daughter. Joseph Molwana (25) and Zanele Njobe (20) were sentenced to life imprisonment and 15 years, respectively, for the premeditated murder of their daughter, Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe. The court sentenced Njobe to 15 years under the Child Justice Act, as she had been a minor at the time of the offence. Couple sentenced for brutal murder of baby girl On 15 May 2022, the couple woke up at Njobe's residence and noticed their daughter was unresponsive. Molwana and Njobe called their neighbours, and upon their arrival, the pair realised that little Sphesihle had died. The couple then notified Njobe's family, community members, and the police. When the police arrived, they arrested Molwana and Njobe at the scene. ALSO READ: Child abuse suspect nabbed in Roodepoort In court, the couple pleaded not guilty, claiming that they didn't know what happened to the toddler. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Molwana and Njobe told the court that Sphesihle had been crying the previous night, but they didn't know what was wrong, and they fell asleep. 'However, State Prosecutor Hanlie du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body,' Mahanjana said. Evidence showed child was severely abused During sentencing proceedings, the defence requested a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, arguing that Molwana was a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and that Njobe, a minor at the time, lacked parental guidance. However, Du Preez urged the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, asserting that the couple had deliberately abused their one-year-old child. The prosecutor also stated that the community felt outraged by the incident and looked to the court to deliver justice. ALSO READ: Only 4% of child abuse cases lead to convictions, report finds In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such people. 'The NPA hopes this sentence sends a strong message that gender-based violence (GBV) and crimes against children remain a priority and will be prosecuted without fear or favour,' Mahanjana said. Five years for child abuse The court also sentenced the couple to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse and declared both unfit to work with children or possess a firearm. In addition, Molwana, a Mozambican national, received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in South Africa illegally. The court ruled that all Molwana's sentences run concurrently with the life sentence.
The South African
14-05-2025
- The South African
Pretoria couple sentenced for murder of their one-year-old child
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentences handed down to a Soshanguve couple for the murder of their one-year-old child. The incident happened on 15 May 2022 in Soshanguve, Pretoria North. The NPA said on 15 May 2022, the couple was at Njobe's place of residence, when they woke up that morning, they realised that their one-year-old daughter was not responsive. They reportedly went to call their neighbours, when the neighbours arrived, they realised that the child was dead. They then called Njobe's family, community members and the police. On arrival the police arrested the couple on the scene. The NPA said Joseph Molwana, a 25-year-old Mozambican national was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his 1-year-old daughter, Sphesihle Nonhlanhla Njobe. The mother, Zanele Njobe, who was a minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for the same offence, in terms of the Child Justice Act. Both parents were further sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. In addition, Molwana received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in the country illegally. The court ordered that all sentences for Molwana run concurrently with the life sentence. The court also declared both accused unfit to work with children and unfit to possess firearms. NPA spokesperson in Gauteng Lumka Mahanjana said in court, both accused pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware of what had happened to the child. Mahanjana explained that the parents said the child had been crying the previous night, but they did not know what was wrong and eventually fell asleep. However, State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body. 'During sentencing proceedings, the defence argued for a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing Molwana's status as a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and Njobe's status as a minor at the time, lacking parental guidance. However, prosecutor Du Preez asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment because the couple deliberately committed serious offences of abuse towards their own child who was only a year old. 'Furthermore, Du Preez argued that the community was outraged by this offence and their hopes are on the courts to send a message with the imposed sentence. In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals,' she explained. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
Soshanguve baby bitten and beaten: father gets life term, mother 15 years
A young couple living in Soshanguve who murdered their baby have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms. One-year-old Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe died in May 2022. Pretoria prosecutor Hanlie du Preez led evidence in court from a pathologist, which revealed the baby girl had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises and bite marks on her body. Her father Joseph Molwana, 25, was this week sentenced to life imprisonment. Her mother Zanele Njobe, 20, who was then aged 17 and therefore a legal minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment in terms of the Child Justice Act. Both were also sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. In addition, Molwana, a Mozambican, received a two-year sentence for being in the country illegally. The court ordered Molwana's sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence. Both accused were declared unfit to work with children. Magistrate Pieter Nel found the couple showed no remorse and their child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals.
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- The Citizen
Pretoria couple sentenced for brutal murder of one-year-old daughter
A Pretoria couple who inflicted severe injuries on their one-year-old daughter — including broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks — has been sentenced for her murder, with the father receiving life imprisonment and the mother 15 years behind bars. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the couple, Joseph Molwana (25), a Mozambican national, and Zanele Njobe (20), lived in Soshanguve. 'Molwana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his 1-year-old daughter, Sphesihle Nonlanhla Njobe. Njobe, who was a minor at the time of the offence, was sentenced to 15 years' direct imprisonment for the same offence, in terms of the Child Justice Act.' Mahanjana said both were further sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for child abuse. 'In addition, Molwana received a two-year direct imprisonment sentence for being in the country illegally. 'The court ordered that all sentences for Molwana run concurrently with the life sentence. The court also declared both accused unfit to work with children and unfit to possess firearms.' She said the couple was at Njobe's place of residence when they woke up that morning on May 15, 2022, and realised that their 1-year-old daughter was not responsive. 'They went to call their neighbors, when the neigbours arrived, they realized that the child was dead. 'They then called Jobes family, community members and the police. On arrival, the police arrested the couple on the scene.' In court, both accused pleaded not guilty, claiming they were unaware of what had happened to the child. They said the child had been crying the previous night, but they did not know what was wrong and eventually fell asleep. However, State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from a pathologist, which revealed that the child had been severely abused, with four broken ribs, bruises, and bite marks on her body. Mahanjana said during sentencing proceedings, the defence argued for a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing Molwana's status as a first-time offender who had been in custody for over two years, and Njobe's status as a minor at the time, lacking parental guidance. 'However, prosecutor Du Preez asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment because the couple deliberately committed serious offences of abuse towards their own child, who was only a year old. Furthermore, Du Preez argued that the community was outraged by this offence, and their hopes are on the courts to send a message by the sentence imposed.' In delivering judgment, Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the prosecution, finding that the couple showed no remorse and that the child had suffered prolonged abuse. He stressed the need to protect society from such individuals. 'The NPA hopes this sentence sends a strong message that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and crimes against children remain a priority and will be prosecuted without fear or favour,' said Mahanjana. Also read: Three more arrested in Pretoria journalist and partner murders after community tip-off Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
