A security guard has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his partner after learning that she had spent the money he had saved for lobola.
Louis Serenetra Moyo, 49, an undocumented Zimbabwean, had been saving funds in his partner, Thobile Grace Khoza's bank account to eventually pay lobola for her. Since he was in South Africa without legal documents, Moyo couldn’t open his own bank account, so he relied on Khoza’s account to save his earnings.
Moyo, who worked as a security guard, deposited his wages into Khoza's account, intending to propose marriage and use the money for lobola. In March, however, he discovered that Khoza had already spent the R15,000 he had saved.
This led to a violent altercation, during which Moyo attacked Khoza with multiple weapons, ultimately stabbing her and leaving her to bleed to death. After the attack, he locked the room and fled. It wasn’t until three days later, on March 15, that the landlord, noticing a foul odor and a swarm of flies, discovered Khoza’s decomposing body.
Police arrested Moyo soon after, as he was found in possession of Khoza's ID, bank card, and cell phone. During his trial at the Johannesburg High Court, Moyo pled guilty to murder.