A wave of shock and disbelief swept across South Africa following the horrific murder of a 25-year-old woman and the subsequent suicide of her alleged killer, Sibusiso Lawrence.
The incident, which unfolded in Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday, 17 December, has left the nation grappling with the brutal details and the chilling confession video that went viral on social media.
The video depicts Lawrence, blood smeared across his face, calmly recounting the events that led to the murder. His words, a chilling mix of despair and anger, revealed a tumultuous relationship marked by betrayal and heartbreak.
“You will say I’m ruthless. I tried, I worked hard in my life trying to satisfy the woman, trying to make her happy. I lost many things, a lot of money, a lot of everything,” he confessed.
He further explained that his girlfriend had left him for another man to claim RAF money, and after both had other partners, she returned, causing further conflict that ultimately led to the tragic event.
“She got tired of me and dumped me because she was going to get RAF money, and I accepted that she dumped me. After that we both had other partners, and she came back to me again and took a video of us and sent it to my girlfriend. My girlfriend has dumped me, and she also dumped me,” he stated in the video.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS, detailed the grim discovery of the woman’s body: “We responded to an incident at a gravel road in the Malangeni area in Umzinto on Tuesday night, where the body of a 25-year-old woman was found lying in the middle of the road. Her bloodied body was found with several stab wounds, and a broken knife was discovered next to her.”
Evidence suggests the murder occurred in Lawrence’s vehicle, as blood was found on the front passenger seat of his abandoned car, located a short distance from the body.
Breaking the family’s silence, Lawrence’s father spoke to Newzroom Afrika, expressing the family’s profound grief and distress. He revealed that the victim was, in fact, his son’s wife, with lobola having been paid and he himself involved in the negotiations.
He described his son as a quiet individual who kept his emotions close: “So, when they started fighting, he asked me and his mother to go and speak to the wife’s family. She ended up dumping him before our very eyes. After that, they had a lot of terrifying issues. He then opened up to us about what had been happening. He was a quiet person who kept a lot of things to himself. He told us everything, including that the child the woman had given birth to, was not his,” the father recounted.
He further revealed that his son had confided in him about his troubled marriage and had kept the details secret due to his love for his wife.
“So, when he told us of the shameful things she had done yesterday, it did not sit well with us. They got married without us knowing of their immense troubles. However, the in-laws knew all that she did,” he added.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and concern on social media, with many expressing disbelief at the graphic nature of Lawrence’s confession and the tragic events that followed.
