A 24-year-old woman hatched a plan for the murder of her parents, pregnant sister, and young brother for an insurance payout when she was a teenager.
Woman Sentenced
A Pretoria high court sentenced Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for orchestrating the murder of her family in 2016. Her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, were handed life sentences for their roles in the brutal killings at the family home in Mmakau, North West.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele described Onthatile’s involvement in the murders as a “betrayal,” intensifying the gravity of the crime.
“The murder of four individuals, including parents and children, is a heinous act of violence. The fact that accused number two, a family member, was an accomplice… acts as an element of betrayal and emotional devastation,” Munzhelele said.
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How The Teenager Hatched A Plan To Murder Her Parents And Siblings For An Insurance Payout
Onthatile, who was 15 at the time, plotted the killings and gave her cousins access to the house. On the night of the murders, Kagiso used her father’s service firearm to shoot Onthatile’s father, Constable Solomon Sebati, her mother, Mmatshepo, her 19-year-old pregnant sister Tshegofatso, and three-year-old brother, Quinton. Tumelo waited outside in their father’s car, and afterwards, Kagiso took money from the house.
According to the court, Onthatile instructed her cousin to shoot her in the thigh to mislead investigators. Following the murders, she paid them R100,000 from insurance payouts. Onthatile confessed to her role in the crime five years later, leading to their arrests.
The trio was convicted of theft, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm. Munzhelele emphasised the devastating impact on the Sebati family, noting how family members struggled with depression and anxiety after the brutal killings.
“The betrayal by Onthatile has left emotional scars,” she said.
Japhitaline Sebati, Onthatile’s aunt, hailed the sentences as justice.
“It is so painful to see a child who is so intelligent… but all in all, I found closure,” she said.
The trio has two weeks to appeal their sentences.