Pretoria – A 38-year-old woman, motivated by jealousy, has admitted guilt in the murder of her neighbor’s 3-year-old daughter and for disposing of the body in a dustbin, leading to a 30-year prison sentence.

The defendant acknowledged her animosity towards the child’s mother, suspecting her of an affair with her boyfriend.

Penina Felipe Sambo, originally from Mozambique, pleaded guilty in the Pretoria High Court in Benoni to the premeditated murder of Melokuhle Ngwenya.

Sentenced on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, the defendant also recognized her illegal status in the country.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) expressed satisfaction with the 30-year direct imprisonment penalty imposed on Sambo.

The court also ruled her unfit to possess a firearm.

Recounting the events that led to the conviction, NPA Gauteng Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana shared that on 3 April 2024, young Melokuhle left her home in Ratanda to buy sweets from a neighbor.

Joyfully, she had received money from her grandfather to spend on treats.

“Upon arriving at the neighbor’s house, where Sambo resided, she bought some sweets and then sat on the couch with her,” Mahanjana explained.

“A few minutes later, Sambo began to strangle her to death and then disposed of her body in an outdoor recycling bin.

“When the child failed to return home, her mother reported her missing to the authorities.”

Officers subsequently went to Sambo’s residence, where the child was last spotted.

“Upon searching Sambo’s home, the child’s body was found in the dustbin,” Mahanjana reported.

“Sambo was arrested at the scene and has remained in custody since.”

In her guilty plea, Sambo stated that her actions were driven by the anger she felt towards the child’s mother, whom she suspected of having an affair with her boyfriend.

During sentencing, she sought leniency, arguing for a deviation from the minimum sentence due to being a first-time offender and showing remorse through her plea.

However, Prosecutor Advocate Sipho Lalani argued that Sambo was guilty of heinous crimes prevalent in the jurisdiction.

He urged the court to consider the vulnerability of the victim and the justice owed to her grieving family.

Lalani called for a sentence that would send a strong message to society.

When delivering the sentence, Judge France Van Der Westhuizen expressed approval of Sambo’s guilty plea.

Despite the legal recommendations for life imprisonment for such offenses, he considered the 30-year sentence to be suitable.