Convicted husband killer and teacher Noluthando Baleni took the witness stand at the Mthatha High Court yesterday and begged her in-laws, her family and the schools where they taught to forgive her for organising the killing of her husband.
Baleni, 47, even begged for forgiveness from people in the public generally when she pleaded in mitigation of sentence.
This was after the court was presented with a probational report.
She apologised to the children of her husband who are demanding she be sentenced to life.
“I have brought so much agony to many people including the children of my husband,” she said.
“I apologise to my in-laws, the Baleni family to the Zibi family , my parents and to our schools. I have done a bad thing and I am very worried. I had no intention to have my husband killed. I have brought so much misery to many people and I am very sorry,” said Baleni who was led in her evidence by advocate Sibongile Kekana of the Legal Aid SA.
Baleni and the hired man who pulled the trigger, Bonga Skolpati, 23, were found guilty of the October 28 2015 murder of Kholisile, who was deputy principal at a Coffee Bay Junior Secondary School.
Skolpati, who was hired by Baleni’s sangoma lover, the late Khayalethu Makubalo, to kill Kholisile, was sentenced in March to 24 years behind bars, but will serve only 20.
On May 2, Judge Richard Brooks postponed Baleni’s matter to yesterday in the Mthatha High Court for a pre-sentencing hearing.
Social development probational officer Nosakhiwo Ngxaza tabled her report yesterday to assist Brooks in setting a suitable sentence for Baleni.
Answering her advocate on why she killed her husband, Baleni said: “I did not have the intention to have killed him. But I was angry when he wanted me to be killed and I decided that it was him who should instead die. Now I understand that I am wrong. I should have left him instead of having him killed.”
She said her marriage was on rock bottom and Kholisile was not maintaining her and the children. She said she was afraid of him.
Because the case started late due to the attempted prisoners escape, the judge postponed the matter to 2.15pm today.
Husband killer pleads for mercy
Baleni, 47, even begged for forgiveness from people in the public generally when she pleaded in mitigation of sentence.
This was after the court was presented with a probational report.
She apologised to the children of her husband who are demanding she be sentenced to life.
“I have brought so much agony to many people including the children of my husband,” she said.
“I apologise to my in-laws, the Baleni family to the Zibi family , my parents and to our schools. I have done a bad thing and I am very worried. I had no intention to have my husband killed. I have brought so much misery to many people and I am very sorry,” said Baleni who was led in her evidence by advocate Sibongile Kekana of the Legal Aid SA.
Baleni and the hired man who pulled the trigger, Bonga Skolpati, 23, were found guilty of the October 28 2015 murder of Kholisile, who was deputy principal at a Coffee Bay Junior Secondary School.
Skolpati, who was hired by Baleni’s sangoma lover, the late Khayalethu Makubalo, to kill Kholisile, was sentenced in March to 24 years behind bars, but will serve only 20.
On May 2, Judge Richard Brooks postponed Baleni’s matter to yesterday in the Mthatha High Court for a pre-sentencing hearing.
Social development probational officer Nosakhiwo Ngxaza tabled her report yesterday to assist Brooks in setting a suitable sentence for Baleni.
Answering her advocate on why she killed her husband, Baleni said: “I did not have the intention to have killed him. But I was angry when he wanted me to be killed and I decided that it was him who should instead die. Now I understand that I am wrong. I should have left him instead of having him killed.”
She said her marriage was on rock bottom and Kholisile was not maintaining her and the children. She said she was afraid of him.
Because the case started late due to the attempted prisoners escape, the judge postponed the matter to 2.15pm today.
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