The Johannesburg High Court has sentenced Nonhle Matsebula to 30 years in prison for the murder of four-year-old Keeya Mbulawa, bringing closure to a case that shocked the Protea Glen community.
Keeya Mbulawa killer handed 30 years for child’s murder
Matsebula, a national of Eswatini, was convicted for the kidnapping, poisoning, and strangulation of the child, whose body was discovered stuffed in a suitcase in Protea Glen Extension 1 in January 2024.
The case did not proceed to a full trial as the State and the accused reached a plea and sentence agreement under Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
As part of the deal, Matsebula was handed 30 years behind bars and will only be eligible for parole after serving at least 20 years.
Advocate Miller Moela, who represented the Mbulawa and Serongoane families on a watching brief, explained that this sentence was considered a better alternative than a life imprisonment ruling, which would have allowed Matsebula parole eligibility after just over 16 years.
“The accused could easily have been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. The problem with that is that she would qualify for parole after serving two-thirds of 25 years in prison, which is just over 16 years,” Moela said.
While the sentence cannot bring back little Keeya, Moela confirmed that the family is satisfied with the justice served, particularly because police, aided by Soweto community members, managed to apprehend Matsebula after she had been on the run.
“The families of Serongoane and Mbulawa, once more, express their gratitude for the unrelenting support from the media, the Soweto police, and the community at large,” Moela added.
Nonhle Matsebula’s arrest and the murder investigation
Matsebula was arrested on 28 February 2024, more than a month after she went on the run following the discovery of Keeya’s body.
Authorities had been searching for Matsebula after Keeya’s mother identified her as the last person seen near the child before she vanished.
According to police, Matsebula was apprehended in Protea Glen after a resident spotted her walking in the street and alerted law enforcement.
“The suspect was spotted by the community member while walking in the streets of Protea Glen, and police were alerted. She was then arrested,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo.
The investigation into Keeya’s death began in mid-January 2024, when the child’s mother discovered her unresponsive body inside a pink travel suitcase.
The five-year-old had been tied up, and a cloth had been stuffed in her mouth.
Keeya fought for her life in hospital for several days before she succumbed to her injuries.
