The accused threw acid on a woman she suspected was having an affair with her husband.
DURBAN – A WOMAN, 28, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for murder after throwing acid on another woman that she suspected was having an affair with her husband.
According to police, the incident took place on March 11, 2019, when the accused, Precious Ngidi, went to the workplace of the victim, Noxolo Mkhwanazi, in Tongaat.
KZN provincial police spokesperson Captain Carmen Rhynes said Ngidi confronted the 26-year-old Mkhwanazi about having an affair with her husband.
Rhynes said the pair then got into an argument and the accused removed a container from her bag containing acid and threw it on Mkhwanazi.
In the process, some of the acid spilt on the accused, she said.
“A reaction officer immediately attended the scene and transported the accused to Tongaat police station, as community members wanted to assault her at the time. She was handed over to a detective warrant officer who arrested her for attempted murder. At the time she had a one-month-old child,” said Rhynes.
Both the clothing of the deceased and accused were seized and taken to the Pretoria Forensic Trace Analysis Laboratory to establish what acid was used.
Rhynes said the laboratory report confirmed that the acid found on the clothing was sulfuric acid, which penetrates the skin and flesh causing organ failure.
“In June 2019 the victim was declared dead at Albert Luthuli Hospital and the charge was then changed to murder. An entire trial was run and had to be delayed due to the accused falling pregnant and giving birth to another child, currently aged three months old.”
Rhynes said that during the trial and even after being convicted the accused maintained that she acted in self-defence.
In mitigation of sentence, Ngidi said she was remorseful but still claimed self-defence, she said, although the evidence at trial proved otherwise.
Ngidi was sentenced to direct imprisonment of 15 years.
Rhynes said the dead woman’s family was in court and commended the investigators and were pleased with the sentence.
