A 33-year-old man from Mpumalanga, Jacques Jacobus Alwyn Botha, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of a sex worker, Zodwa Angelina Sibiya. Botha was convicted in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Breyton earlier this week.
The crime occurred on October 18, 2024, on a farm in Vogelspruitspoort, near Belfast, where Botha had picked up Sibiya from a street in Belfast and brought her to his home. After spending some time together drinking alcohol, things escalated when Sibiya’s noise irritated Botha. He attempted to stop her, but when she did not comply, he strangled her—first with his hands and then using her underwear—until she lost consciousness.
Realizing she was dead, Botha took Sibiya’s body, wrapped it in a carpet, and dumped it in a hole, covering it with stones to hide the crime. After some time, he turned himself in to the police.
Sibiya’s body was discovered and identified as that of a woman from Emthonjeni. Botha was charged with murder and defeating the ends of justice. For the murder, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, and for the second charge, he was given an additional seven years. However, the court ruled that the sentences would run concurrently, meaning he will serve an effective 20 years behind bars. In addition, Botha was declared unfit to carry a firearm.
This tragic case highlights the brutal nature of the crime, as well as the swift justice brought to the accused. The sentence will see Botha incarcerated for two decades, serving as a reminder of the consequences of such violence.
