Middelburg Man Sentenced To Life For Brutal Murder Of Wife Amid Divorce

The High Court in Middelburg has sentenced 46-year-old Poyisa Gilbert Voyiya, from Klarinet Extension, to life imprisonment for the premeditated and brutal murder of his wife, Nelly Coldetia Voyiya.

The shocking crime, committed on April 19, 2022, in Emalahleni, shows in its entirety the level  of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

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The couple, who were undergoing divorce proceedings, shared a 12-year-old child.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Voyiya stalked and chased his wife’s vehicle until she crashed into a streetlight.

When she attempted to flee on foot, he pursued her and stabbed her multiple times in the upper body before fleeing to Standerton.

Husband Confessed To Cousin After Fleeing Crime Scene

NPA regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa confirmed that after the murder, Voyiya confessed to his cousin, who accompanied him to the police.

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His wife was rushed to a nearby hospital, but despite emergency efforts, she succumbed to her injuries.

A post-mortem later confirmed her death was caused by multiple sharp-force injuries.

Voyiya pleaded guilty to the charges and claimed to have suffered from mental instability, but a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation declared him fit to stand trial.

Court Rejects Mental Instability Claim, Condemns Femicide

Senior State Advocate Bakedi Maoke, who led the prosecution, emphasized the calculated nature and severity of the crime.

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She argued that the guilty plea did not mitigate the brutality of the murder and called for the minimum sentence of life imprisonment.

“The country continues to grapple with gender-based violence and femicide,” said Maoke. “This crime has not only taken a life but left a child without a mother.”

The court agreed, imposing a life sentence, reaffirming its commitment to confronting the ongoing crisis of violence against women in South Africa.

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