Pretoria - The High Court in Mpumalanga sentenced Nompumelelo Portia Nkambule, 37, from Louwville in Barberton, to life imprisonment on Friday for murdering her ex-boyfriend’s daughter Philisiwe Charlotte Nkosi, 3.
“Between December 2020 to February 2021, the victim’s father, Collen Nkosi took a decision to place the victim under the care of his girlfriend Nkambule as he wanted to go to look for a job. This was after the death of the biological mother of the victim in September 2020,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa said.
“While the victim was in the voluntary care of Nkambule, she struggled to relieve herself and appeared as if she was not potty trained. Nkambule started to assault her with a tree branch on her body whenever she soiled herself on separate occasions over a period of time.”
As a result, Nyuswa said Philisiwe sustained severe multiple blunt injuries on her body and at the back of her head.
“She succumbed to the effects of the injuries which resulted in her internal organs shutting down. An inquest docket to probe the circumstances of the death of the victim was conducted and it led to the arrest of the caregiver, Nkambule,” said Nyuswa.
Nkambule pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied having contributed to the death of the toddler.
State advocate Tula Bekwa, led evidence of the investigating officer who told the court that the toddler’s father, Nkosi, insisted that Philisiwe did not have injuries prior to visiting and staying with Nkambule.
Nkosi’s evidence was supported by the testimony of Nkambule’s daughter who said she had witnessed her mother assaulting Philisiwe with a branch on two occasions.
“She stated that she saw the deceased falling on the ground. Their [Philisiwe’s father and Nkambule’s daughter] evidence was supported with a testimony of a medical doctor who conducted a post mortem. She testified that the victim’s kidneys were bleeding and eventually caused the kidneys to collapse leading to her death,” Nyuswa added.
Nkambule was subsequently found guilty of murder.
Advocate Tula Bekwa submitted a Victim Impact Statement to the court, which detailed the heartache the father experienced after the brutal death of his daughter.
“In his statement, the victim’s father said he has lost trust in anyone as his child died in the hands of the person he trusted. He added that the death of his child disturbed him mentally and physically.
“The Acting Judge Ntombizanele Ndlokovana found no compelling and substantial circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. She sentenced Nkambule to life imprisonment for premeditated murder” Nyuswa concluded.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed Nkambule’s conviction and sentencing.
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