LOVE TRIANGLE ENDS IN FIRE

Thabazimbi – The Thabazimbi Regional Court has sentenced 26-year-old Mathews Ballantine Chinyaka to 15 years of direct imprisonment for murder, along with an additional 12-month sentence for contravening the Immigration Act. The sentences will run concurrently.

On the night of Saturday, 13 May 2023, a tragic act of jealousy unfolded in Botha’s Squatter Camp, Thabazimbi. The victim, 20-year-old Titus David Shihlangu, was asleep with his girlfriend when her ex-boyfriend, Chinyaka, took extreme measures to express his rage. The court heard that Chinyaka, unable to accept the end of his relationship with the woman, doused the shack with a flammable liquid. Alerted by movement outside, Shihlangu stepped out to investigate, only to be confronted by the accused. In a horrifying act, Chinyaka poured the liquid over him and set him alight.

Shihlangu suffered severe burn wounds and was rushed to the local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The woman managed to escape the flames and reported the crime to the police.

For six months, Chinyaka evaded arrest, until Hoopdal SAPS apprehended him for possession of suspected stolen property (copper cable). Further investigations linked him to the Thabazimbi murder case, leading to his trial and conviction. 

Throughout multiple court appearances, he was denied bail until justice was finally served on Monday, 3 February 2025.

Limpopo provincial police commissioner, lieutenant general Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the conviction, stating that the ruling serves as a strong warning to others who might consider resorting to violence.

Photo: THE ACCUSED… Mathews Ballantine Chinyaka (26), now serving a 15-year sentence for murder.