Man who joined search for girlfriend he had killed jailed for life

The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the conviction and life sentence handed down to Nelson Mattuse (38) for the murder of his girlfriend, Nomakhephi Thoma (30), and for related offences.

Disappeared after leaving to collect money

The deceased left with the accused on 20 February 2024 after he had asked her to join him to collect money. She did not return home. Because the accused gave inconsistent explanations about her whereabouts, the deceased’s sister reported her missing to the Ikageng Police Station.

Changing stories and flight from questioning

When the family asked about the missing woman, the accused initially told them she was visiting a friend. He later changed his account and said she had gone to see a new boyfriend. While being questioned at the police station, where he was accompanied by the deceased’s sister, the accused fled. After his escape he contacted the sister to demand money to perform a cleansing ceremony, prompting an immediate manhunt by law enforcement.

Arrest and discovery of remains

An investigation team led by Colonel Blignaut tracked and arrested the accused on 16 March. At the time of his arrest he was found in possession of a hand-drawn map that guided investigators to the location where the deceased’s remains were discovered. While the search was ongoing, the accused had pretended to assist both police and the family in efforts to find her.

Additional charges and indictment

Further investigations linked the accused to two incidents of housebreaking and theft that occurred between 2019 and 2020. He was indicted on five counts: Count 1, murder read with the Domestic Violence Act; Count 2, kidnapping; Count 3, violating a corpse; and Counts 4 and 5, both for housebreaking with intent to steal and theft.

Sentencing and the state’s case

During sentencing, State Prosecutor Hester Pretorius argued there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment. The State said the accused had abused a relationship of trust, intimacy and dependency by killing his partner rather than protecting her and described the offence as gender-based violence that caused immeasurable psychological trauma to the family.

“The prosecution further argued that the offence constituted gender-based violence in one of its most brutal forms and caused immeasurable psychological trauma to the deceased’s family, who endured weeks of uncertainty before the devastating discovery of her remains,”

The court agreed that no substantial and compelling circumstances justified a lesser sentence and imposed the following terms: life imprisonment for Count 1; 10 years each for Counts 2 and 3; five years for Count 4; and six years for Count 5. Counts 2, 3, 4 and 5 were ordered to run concurrently.

Prosecution response and support measures

The NPA said it remains committed to combating gender-based violence and femicide by holding perpetrators accountable. It cited the role of dedicated prosecutors, stakeholder collaboration and victim-centred interventions such as Thuthuzela Care Centres and Court Preparation Officers in supporting and informing victims and their families throughout the criminal justice process.