The High Court in Pretoria has sentenced Pamela Selani from Olievenhoutbosch to three life terms for the brutal murders of her two lovers and her son.
Selani reportedly enlisted the help of her second lover, known only as Gift, to kill her first victim, Micheal Changisa. She accused Changisa of infecting her with a chronic disease, leading to a series of tragic events.
One night, Gift went to the house Selani shared with Changisa and hid in the bathroom. After Changisa fell asleep, Gift snuck out of the bathroom and repeatedly hit Changisa on the head with a hammer, in the presence of Selani’s two minor children.
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A year later, Selani conspired with her then-17-year-old son, Avela Jojwana, to kill Gift, whom she accused of abusing her after they started living together. The two poisoned Gift and drowned his head in water until he died, then buried his body in a shallow grave on top of Changisa’s remains in her yard.
When Selani’s son, who had been demanding money from her to feed his drug habit, threatened to reveal the murders, she killed him too. Selani grabbed a hammer and repeatedly hit Avela on the head until he died, subsequently burying him on top of the other two victims in her yard.
Authorities were alerted to the murders in 2020 when Selani took her youngest child to a traditional healer, and the teenager revealed the gruesome events. The healer informed a community leader, who then called the police. Selani and her son were arrested, but charges against the son were later dropped when he turned state witness.
In court, Selani pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, the state was able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Selani was sentenced to three life terms, with an additional five-year imprisonment for defeating the administration of justice.
This case stands as a grim reminder of the lengths to which someone might go when driven by desperation and fear.
