Mozambican national Clara Masinga, 37, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison by the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela for the murder of her 11-year-old stepdaughter, Jennifer Gumbi.
The sentencing comes ten years after the murder and several postponements from the lower court. Masinga pleaded guilty to premeditated murder, admitting that she killed the young girl to spite her biological mother.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mpumalanga spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, Masinga was in a relationship with Jennifer’s father, Rodgers Gumbi, and lived with him at KwaMhlushwa, Phosaville Section, in the Malelane district.
“On March 21, 2015, Masinga sent Jennifer’s friend to fetch her from home while she waited at a distance. When the girls returned, Masinga asked Jennifer to accompany her to her house, claiming an acquaintance wanted to buy her clothes,” Nyuswa said.
“Upon arrival, Masinga called her accomplice, who remained with the child while she went to a nearby tuck shop to buy ice cream and rat poison (Rattex).”
Nyuswa explained that Masinga and her accomplice crushed the poison and mixed it with the ice cream before giving it to Jennifer, who died after eating the poisoned treat.
“Her body was found dumped in a shallow ditch near the Mlumati River. A police investigation led to Masinga’s arrest,” Nyuswa said.
In court, Masinga admitted that her conduct was unlawful and punishable. She entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state, which the court accepted.
“In her plea statement, she said her motive for killing the child was to spite the victim’s biological mother,” Nyuswa added.
