Onthatile Sebati, now 24 years old, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Pretoria High Court for orchestrating the brutal murders of her parents, pregnant sister, and younger brother when she was a teenager. The sentencing was handed down on Tuesday afternoon, bringing closure to a case that has shocked South Africa.
Sebati, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime, plotted the 2016 murders of her parents, Constable Solomon Lucky Sebati and Mmatshepo Sebati, as well as her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso and her three-year-old brother Quinton. The horrific incident took place at their family home in Mmakau, a village near Brits in the North West Province.
Sebati’s two cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, were also involved in carrying out the murders. They have each been sentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the killings. The court found that the two men, who were paid R100,000 from an insurance payout that Sebati received after the murders, were key players in executing her plan.
The case, which had been under investigation for years, shocked the nation when it was revealed that Sebati was the mastermind behind the gruesome killings. She confessed to her involvement in 2021, five years after the murders had taken place. At the time of her confession, Sebati claimed that she had been pressured into committing the crime due to unresolved family tensions. However, the court found no justification for her actions.
During the sentencing, the judge highlighted the premeditated and cold-blooded nature of the crime, emphasizing the devastating impact it had on the surviving family members and the wider community. The court also noted Sebati’s age at the time of the crime, balancing her youth with the severity of the murders when determining her sentence.
The court proceedings revealed that the murders were meticulously planned. Onthatile reportedly contacted her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso, to assist in carrying out the murders. After receiving the insurance money, she paid them for their involvement, showing that this was not a crime of passion but a carefully orchestrated plan.
While Sebati expressed remorse during the trial, many observers and family members remained unconvinced, stating that her actions were beyond forgiveness. The sentencing has brought some sense of closure to those affected by the tragedy, but the emotional scars left by the loss of four family members in such a brutal manner are likely to remain for a long time.
This case stands as a chilling reminder of the capacity for violence and betrayal, even within families. With Onthatile Sebati now serving 25 years in prison and her cousins facing life sentences, justice has been served, but the pain caused by their actions will not soon be forgotten.