Cape Town - Two men who set their partners alight and left them for dead in separate incidents have been sentenced in Worcester.
Ruiter Erasmus was convicted of the October 2022 murder of his partner Monica Daniels and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment this week, while Richard Samuels, who pleaded guilty to the January 2022 murder of his wife Valencia Samuels, 38, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
The State proved that Erasmus stabbed Daniels several times and set her alight following an argument over money which Daniels’s son had asked for.
State prosecutor Amisha Ratanjie, who secured the conviction and sentence, told the court how Erasmus left Daniels with 16 stab wounds to her body.
After stabbing Daniels inside a bedroom in Shrike Street, Avian Park, Erasmus set her alight and then closed the door, leaving her burning inside.
Samuels had set Valencia alight after she confronted him about being involved in an extramarital affair.
The incident took place in front of the couple’s 14-year-old child in Oktober Street, Roodewal.
Valencia, who had survived the ordeal, died 10 days later at Tygerberg Hospital.
Ntabazalila said Samuels pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.
“He became angry and started swearing and shouting at her.
“He then doused her with petrol and set her alight. She was taken to hospital but succumbed to her injuries about 10 days later. The incident took place in the presence of their minor child,” Ntabazalila said.
Ratanjie informed Samuels during arguments that both children indicated in their Victim Impact Statements that sometimes the pain was so bad (due to losing their mother) that they wanted to end their own lives.
Western Cape director of public prosecutions advocate Nicolette Bell applauded the investigation and prosecution teams, but decried the level of gender-based violence and femicide in both cases.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za
Cape Argus