Former police constable jailed for life for killing wife with broken bottle

The Mpumalanga High Court has sentenced former police constable Lucky Sandile Maduda to life imprisonment after he was convicted of murdering his wife, the court heard. Maduda, 34, was also convicted of the attempted murder of his wife’s friend; the assaults took place during a workplace birthday party in October 2023.

What happened

According to evidence presented at the trial, the incident occurred on 3 October 2023 while Maduda, his wife Nonkululeko Mtsweni and colleagues were attending a birthday party at Mtsweni’s place of work, the Zethu Bar Lounge in Barberton. An argument broke out and Maduda stabbed his wife with a broken alcohol bottle.

Mtsweni was declared dead at the scene and transported to the local government mortuary. The cause of death was identified as multiple stab wounds.

Assault on a friend and investigation

Maduda also assaulted Mtsweni’s friend, Veronica Sithole, by bashing her head against the wall and stabbing her in the neck with pieces of the broken bottle, the court heard.

The matter was investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping told the court that Maduda pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Sentence and court orders

The court handed Maduda a life sentence for the murder and a 10-year sentence for the attempted murder. The judge ordered the two sentences to run concurrently, meaning Maduda will effectively serve life in prison. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

Family response

Suping said the family of Nonkululeko Mtsweni expressed gratitude to IPID for how the case was handled and for keeping them informed of developments.