Sergeant Remains Jailed in Murder Plot

Detective Sergeant Nyiko Jacobeth Nyathi (42), accused of orchestrating a hit on her estranged husband and his pregnant girlfriend, has again been remanded in custody following her appearance in the Mapulaneng Magistrate’s Court on May 19.

Nyathi, who is stationed at the Bushbuckridge Police Station, is expected to return to court on May 28, when her partially heard bail application will resume.

The charges stem from a brutal attack on February 5, 2024, when a group of armed men stormed the home of her estranged husband, Mashego, in Boikhotso near Bushbuckridge. The attackers demanded his bank card. When he told them it was with his girlfriend, Lebjane, who lived in nearby Zoeknog, they forced him to call her and arrange its collection.

The assailants then hijacked Mashego’s two vehicles and took him to Lebjane’s house. “Upon arrival, the perpetrators ordered Mashego to knock on the door. He quickly entered and closed it behind him, but the attackers allegedly fired through the door, fatally shooting the couple,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa.

The attackers then looted the home, stealing R4,000 in cash and Mashego’s bank card.

Four suspects were later arrested. One of them, Witness Monareng (28), pleaded guilty after his fingerprints were found at the scene. He received a 77-year prison sentence for premeditated murder, armed robbery, theft, and kidnapping. The trial against the remaining accused—Themba Mokoena, Thabang Malumane, and Thabiso Malope—is still ongoing.

Nyathi turned herself in on March 10 after evading arrest. Police officers had tried to apprehend her on March 7, but a premature broadcast on the SABC’s Morning Live show reportedly alerted her, prompting her to go into hiding.

She has remained in custody since her surrender. During the bail proceedings, Nyathi’s lawyer, Advocate Vusi Segodi, filed an application for Magistrate Tanya du Preez to recuse herself, citing a potential conflict of interest. Du Preez is married to Nyathi’s former commander, and Segodi argued this relationship could affect the fairness of the trial.

However, the recusal application was denied. “There is just no way the accused can have a fair trial under the circumstances,” Segodi insisted.

As legal proceedings continue, public interest in the case remains high due to the shocking nature of the crime and Nyathi’s position as a serving police officer.