A Pretoria high court judge has labeled the involvement of a daughter in the murders of her parents, pregnant sister, and brother as a severe betrayal.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele sentenced 24-year-old Onthatile Sebati to 25 years in prison for her role in the 2016 killings, while her cousins, Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone, received life sentences.
The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of Onthatile’s father, police constable Solomon Lucky Sebati; her mother, Mmatshepo, a nurse; her 19-year-old pregnant sister, Tshegofatso; and her three-year-old brother, Quinton, all shot in their home in Mmakau, North West. At the time of the killings, Onthatile was just 15 years old, while her cousins were both 18.
Judge Munzhelele emphasized the emotional toll of the crime, particularly given the involvement of a family member. “The murder of four individuals, including parents and children, is an abhorrent act of violence. The fact that accused number two [Onthatile], a family member, was complicit in the killings intensifies the emotional devastation and gravity of the offense,” the judge remarked.
The state revealed that Onthatile had planned the murders, recruiting her cousins to execute the crime while providing them access to the home and her father’s service weapon. Kagiso fired the shots, while Tumelo waited in the getaway vehicle. Following the murders, Onthatile paid her cousins R100,000 from insurance payouts.
In a startling development, five years after the crime, Onthatile confessed to relatives, which led to the arrest of her cousins. They faced charges of theft, four counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and were found guilty earlier this year.
The court was informed that Onthatile’s betrayal has inflicted deep emotional wounds on the Sebati family, with relatives grappling with mental health issues stemming from the tragedy. The judge deemed the trio unfit to possess firearms and granted them two weeks to appeal their sentences.
Onthatile’s aunt, Japhitaline Sebati, welcomed the sentencing as “justice served,” adding, “It is painful to see such an intelligent child waste her future, but I hope she finds rehabilitation.”
