A jealous foreign national who burnt to death his ex-girlfriend’s new lover receives a 15 year jail term

A 26-year old foreign national based in Limpopo this week in the Thabazimbi Regional Court received an effective 15 year prison term for murder that was precipitated by jealousy.

Mathews Ballantine Chinyaka was also sentenced to 12 months in prison for being in the country illegally. The sentence will run concurrently with the murder prison term.

Police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said evidence in court was that the deceased was with his girlfriend sleeping in a shack at Boths squatter camp in Thabazimbi on 13 May 2023.

“The ex-boyfriend (Chinyaka) became jealous of her former girlfriend moving on with another man. The accused poured flammable liquid at the shack. The deceased heard some movements outside the shack and went to check what was happening.

“He met the accused who advanced to him having a flammable liquid. The accused suddenly poured the victim with that flammable liquid and set him alight,” Ledwaba said.

The girlfriend managed to escape unharmed, but the victim succumbed to his injuries. The deceased was later identified as Titus David Sihlangu (20).

The accused went on the run for six months. He was arrested for by the Hoopdal police for possession of stolen copper cable, and through investigation, was linked to the murder in Thabazimbi.