A Pretoria high court judge described a daughter’s involvement in the m*rder of her parents, pregnant sister, and brother as a profound betrayal.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele sentenced 24-year-old Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for her role in the 2016 k!llings. Her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, received life sentences.
The horr!fic incident resulted in the deaths of Onthatile’s father, police constable Solomon Lucky Sebati, her mother Mmatshepo, a nurse, her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso, and her three-year-old brother Quinton. All were shot in their home in Mmakau, North West. At the time of the m*rders, Onthatile was 15, and her cousins were 18.
Judge Munzhelele commented on the emotional impact of the crime, especially given the involvement of a family member. “The m*rder of four family members is a he!nous act, and the fact that accused number two [Onthatile] participated in it intensifies the emotional devastation and seriousness of the crime,” said the judge.
According to the prosecution, Onthatile orchestrated the k!llings, enlisting her cousins to execute the crime and providing them access to the house and her father’s service firearm. Kagiso sh*t the family while Tumelo waited in a getaway vehicle. After the m*rders, Onthatile paid her cousins R100,000 from insurance payouts.
Five years after the crime, Onthatile confessed to relatives, leading to their arrests. They faced charges of theft, four counts of m*rder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and were found guilty earlier this year.
The court learned that Onthatile’s betrayal left deep emotional scars on the Sebati family, with relatives grappling with mental health issues as a result. The judge declared the trio unfit to possess firearms and allowed them two weeks to appeal their sentences.
Onthatile’s aunt, Japhitaline Sebati, called the sentencing “justice served,” noting, “It is painful to see such an intelligent child waste her future, but I hope she gets rehabilitated.”