A 37-year-old woman, Clara Masinga, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for poisoning her 11-year-old stepdaughter with rat poison in an act of premeditated murder. The incident, which took place in South Africa, was believed to be motivated by animosity towards the girl’s biological mother.
The sentencing occurred on Wednesday, October 15, at the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela. Masinga pleaded guilty under a Section 105A plea and sentence agreement with the State. The court heard that on March 21, 2015, Masinga orchestrated the poisoning by sending the victim’s friend to bring her to a designated location while she prepared the lethal concoction.
After obtaining the poison, Masinga mixed it into ice cream and fed it to the victim, Jennifer Gumbi. Following ingestion, Jennifer was found abandoned near the Mlumati River. To cover her tracks, Masinga poured boiling water on Jennifer’s body but was soon apprehended by the authorities.
During the court proceedings, Masinga admitted to her criminal actions and acknowledged their unlawfulness. She confessed that her intention behind the murder was to spite Jennifer’s biological mother. Consequently, the court decided to impose a 23-year direct imprisonment, deviating from the minimum prescribed sentence.
Judge Vukeya condemned the prevalence of domestic violence cases in South Africa, particularly those involving the killing of women and children. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) expressed approval of the sentence and commended the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in bringing Masinga to justice. The NPA reaffirmed its commitment to vigorously prosecuting cases of domestic and gender-based violence to deter potential offenders.
