Pretoria – Twenty-one-year-old Onthatile Sebati, who was a teenager when she was accused of ordering a hit on her family members, has been found guilty of four counts of murder committed in the North West.
Sebati and her accomplices, 24-year-old Tumelo Mokone and 24-year-old Kagiso Mokone, were found guilty on four counts of murder, theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in the Gauteng division, Lumka Mahanjana, said the three were convicted after the state was able to lead evidence that Sebati conspired with her two male friends to kill her family members at their home in Mmakau, east of Brits in the North West province.
“During the day on 6 December 2016, the two went to Sebati’s house to collect her father’s firearm. In the evening of the same day, they returned to the house,” said Mahanjana.
“Sebati went outside pretending to dispose of water but went to open the gate for the two and gave Kagiso her father’s car keys that was parked outside.
“Tumelo then proceeded to enter the house where he shot and killed Sebati’s 42-year-old father, 40-year-old mother, 19-year-old pregnant sister, and her 6-year-old brother.”
Tumelo and Kagiso drove off in the vehicle belonging to Sebati’s father, police constable Solomon Lucky Sebati, they abandoned the vehicle after it got stuck in the mud a few meters away from the house.
Onthatile handed herself to the police on 17 December 2021 and made a confession, which led to the arrest of Tumelo and Kagiso.
The two, who were arrested on 18 December 2021, also confessed the roles they played the night Sebati’s family was wiped out.
Mahanjana said during the trial, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges and disputed the confessions.
“After the trial within a trial, the judge ruled that the confessions were admissible,” she said.
Prosecutor Advocate Eric Sihlangu led evidence that Sepati organised a hit against her family and paid the two R50 000 each for the job.
Kagiso was also linked to the offence by his fingerprints, which were found in the car.
“During the judgment, the judge agreed with the state that it had overwhelming evidence against the three, and the state was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Mahajana said.
“Therefore, the three were found guilty of all the charges preferred against them.”
The case was postponed to 16 April 2024 for sentencing.
Onthatile was 15 years old when she hatched the plan to kill her policeman father – then attached to Hebro Police Station, her mother Mmatshepo – a nurse at an old-age home, sister Tshegofatso, and young brother Quinton.
In January 2017 two men aged 29 and 38 were arrested in connection with the murder of the Sebati family.
However, they were acquitted after they spent a year and seven months in prison awaiting trial.
