A man who murdered a mother of four by setting her alight after dousing her with petrol six years ago in Hout Bay has been sentenced to 22 years behind bars.
Elridge du Plessis, 37, was sentenced at the Wynberg Regional Court on Friday.
He was found guilty of the murder of 44-year-old Mishkaah Fakier on May 25 by Magistrate Karel Meyer.
Eric Ntabazalila of the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that Du Plessis had been sentenced to 22 years in jail. No further conditions were added.
His co-accused, Denzil du Plesis, 38, who is his cousin, was acquitted.
Mishkaah was left with 70 percent of burns to her body after she was attacked by Du Plessis in January 2018 in Hout Bay.
The mother, who was also beaten during the ordeal, survived the attack and in hospital she managed to name her attacker before she died.
The State proved that Du Plessis had planned to murder Mishkaah after he accused her of stealing drugs from him.
Mishkaah’s cousin, Fadwah Verdien, said they were relieved by the outcome and can finally put the case behind them: “We can finally put Mishkaah at rest. We are grateful to the media which also placed pressure on the court which helped to speed up the case.
“We are satisfied with the sentence because he already served four years behind bars which makes the toll that of a life sentence.”
Siya Monakali of Ilitha Labantu, an organization advocating for the rights of women and children for the past 35 years, said they welcomed the sentence imposed on Du Plessis because it can set a precedent for other GBV cases.
“The violence against women has reached alarming rates in South Africa, and we strongly appeal to our justice system to consistently impose the harshest sentences on those who commit crimes against women,” he said.
“Far too often, perpetrators escape severe punishment, sending a wrong message to society.
“We also urge our criminal justice system to ensure that all cases are treated with the urgency, expediency, and seriousness they deserve.
“Every case of violence against women must be handled with the utmost importance to truly protect and uphold the rights and dignity of women in our society.”
genevieve.heunis@inl.co.za