The High Court in Polokwane has sentenced a South Africa woman Violet Mabina to 23 years in prison for orchestrating her mother’s murder in April this year.

Violet, 27, was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of her 53-year-old mother Nancy Mabina, with the help of two Zimbabwean men – Brian Ndlovu, 24, and Wilmington Shumbayaonda, 27.

According to Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, Violet hired Ndlovu and Shumbayaonda to kill her mother over a family conflict and promised to pay them R100,000.

The two men arrived at Violet’s house in Seshego, outside Polokwane, at about 2am where she let them into the house, but made it to appear as a burglary.

She then pointed them to where her mother was sleeping before she went to her own bedroom.

The duo then attacked the deceased, stabbed her several times with a knife, robbed her of a cellphone and fled the scene. Violet’s grandmother then called for help and the police were notified. Her mother was certified dead on the scene.4

“Police opened a case of murder and investigations commenced which involved a manhunt for the suspects. On the same day, police managed to arrest the two accused. The deceased’s cellphone was also recovered and subsequently, the deceased’s daughter was arrested. The trio remained in custody until their ultimate sentencing on Monday,” said Mojapelo.

Violet was sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment, while Ndlovu and Shumbayaonda were each sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Limpopo police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nneke Ledwaba, lauded the “excellent detective work”.

Ledwaba further commended the community members for continuously providing the police with positive and valuable information that assist in speeding up the investigations.