A 50-year-old Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend by dousing her with petrol and setting her alight.
Fanyana Simon Gama was sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela for the murder of 42-year-old Bonisiwe Mahlikilane Masinga.
According to NPA Mpumalanga spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, Gama and Masinga were drinking alcohol at a neighbour’s house in Lehawu Trust, Pienaar, on the night of February 15, 2025.
Nyuswa said Masinga later left and was found sleeping on the veranda of the home she shared with Gama.
The following morning, the couple argued about where they had been.
Nyuswa said Gama then went to a nearby fuel station, where he bought petrol and matches.
“When he returned, the argument continued before he poured petrol over Masinga and set her alight,” Nyuswa said.
Despite suffering extensive burns, Masinga managed to flee to a neighbour’s house and reported that Gama had poured petrol on her and set her on fire.
The neighbour rushed her to the nearest medical facility, but she died about a week later from complications caused by her burn wounds, Nyuswa said.
Gama was subsequently arrested.
In his plea statement, Gama admitted that his actions were unlawful and punishable by law. He expressed remorse and asked the court, Masinga’s family and the community for forgiveness.
He also told the court that he had attempted to extinguish the flames after setting Masinga alight.
A post-mortem examination found that Masinga died from septic burn wound complications arising from the injuries sustained in the attack.
During sentencing, state prosecutor Advocate Itumeleng Phatudi argued that the offence was serious and prevalent, particularly because it was an act of domestic violence against an intimate partner.
Nyuswa said the State argued that the courts must send a clear message that gender-based violence and domestic violence would not be tolerated.
The court found that substantial and compelling circumstances justified a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.
It considered Gama’s personal circumstances, his cooperation with law enforcement, confession and guilty plea.
However, the court also considered the brutality of the offence, the loss suffered by Masinga’s family and the prevalence of gender-based violence.
Gama was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Nyuswa said the conviction and sentence demonstrated the criminal justice system’s commitment to holding perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable.
