A High Court sitting in Mpumalanga, South Africa, has sentenced 29-year-old Jabulani Nkosi to life imprisonment for the gruesome murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Boitsoko Khoza. Nkosi also received an additional five-year sentence for arson. The judgment was delivered on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Khoza was last seen on November 22, 2023. That same day, she informed her colleagues via WhatsApp that she would not be reporting to work, as she intended to travel to her parental home in Mamelodi. When she failed to arrive, her family raised concerns and reported her missing.

 

Tragically, on the morning of November 25, 2023, a fire broke out at Khoza’s flatlet in Evander. The Govan Mbeki Fire Brigade extinguished the flames and discovered her charred remains inside. A post-mortem revealed she had been brutally assaulted, suffering multiple stab wounds and fractured ribs, before being set ablaze. She was also found to be ten weeks pregnant.

 

Nkosi was later arrested after allegedly confessing the killing to some friends. Senior State Advocate Themba Lusenga led the prosecution, presenting strong evidence including eyewitness testimony, expert findings from the fire scene, and the account of a businessman who bought Khoza’s phone from Nkosi for R650.

 

In a Victim Impact Statement presented to the court, Khoza’s mother shared the emotional toll the murder had taken on the family. The prosecution highlighted the cruel and violent nature of the crime, the lack of remorse shown by the accused, and the broader societal crisis of gender-based violence (GBV), emphasizing that the victim’s pregnancy further aggravated the offence.

 

The court described the murder as “brutal and inhumane” and handed Nkosi a life sentence for murder and five years for arson. Both sentences will run concurrently, effectively meaning he will serve life in prison. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

 

In a statement following the ruling, the NPA expressed satisfaction with the outcome, reaffirming its commitment to securing justice for victims of GBV and providing support to their families.