Sandile Mantsoe has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Karabo Mokoena by the High Court in Johannesburg.
He was also found guilty of assault and defeating the ends of justice for disposing of Mokoena’s body.
Mantsoe has been on trial in the High Court in Johannesburg for the murder of then 24-year-old Mokoena, whose charred remains were found in an open veld in Johannesburg’s eastern suburb of Lyndhurst in April last year.
Acting Judge Piet Johnson says Mantsoe was not an honest witness. He said Mantsoe lied about Mokoena’s alleged previous attempted suicide so it could suit his version of how Karabo was killed.
Johnson says Mantsoe planned the disposal of the body carefully.
Johnson says he is satisfied with the states case. He says there was no justification for Mantsoe to kill Mokoena. The public gallery could not contain their excitement upon this guilty verdict .
On Monday, the state wrapped up its case after calling several witnesses including Karabo Mokoena’s family, friends, police officers and security guards who work at the Sandton Sky where Mantsoe lived.
On Monday the state decided to close their case without calling any witnesses because they are of the view that the State has not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Other witnesses who took to the stand including police officers have testified that Mantsoe said Mokoena needed to die to break a blood ritual that they had entered in order to boost his business dealings.
The police officers alleged that Mantsoe claimed that his business had begun to suffer as a result of the two of them splitting up. Closing arguments are expected to be made today.