FORMER ANC LAWMAKER MUST FACE MURDER TRIAL, COURT RULES
Jennifer Motlhomi was fatally stabbed at her home in Kanana near Orkney on 27 November 2022. More than three years later, the man accused of killing her, her husband, will finally have to answer for it in court.
A North West High Court judge ruled on 24 August 2026 that Sibusiso Kula, 37, a former Member of Parliament and ANC Youth League leader, must stand trial. Judge Andrew Reddy found that sufficient evidence exists to proceed, rejecting a defence bid to have all charges dismissed. For the public, and for those who have followed this case as a measure of how the justice system handles domestic violence, the ruling means the process moves forward rather than collapsing before a defence is even mounted.
Kula faces five charges: murder, conspiracy to commit murder, defeating the ends of justice, contravening the Domestic Violence Act, and making false statements to police. The charges together paint a picture of alleged conduct that extends well beyond a single violent act.
The state built its case over several months, calling 15 witnesses before concluding its presentation in April 2026. The defence, led by Advocate Gcina Dlanjwa, argued that prosecutors had not assembled a case strong enough to support a conviction and had failed to clearly identify Kula as the person responsible for the killing. Judge Reddy rejected both arguments. Eyewitness testimony, he found, is not the only means of establishing identity. Circumstantial evidence can serve that purpose, and among the evidence he cited was testimony from a neighbour who stated she heard Kula and his wife arguing shortly before the stabbing.
On the conspiracy charge, the court relied on testimony from a witness identified as “Bopha,” who stated that Kula had at one point asked him to kill his wife. The court also noted that Kula admitted being present at the scene after the stabbing and that it was undisputed he drove his wife to hospital.
By contrast, Dlanjwa maintained outside court that the investigation itself was compromised. He characterised the case as a witch-hunt, arguing that investigators came under pressure following public comments made by then Police Minister Bheki Cele and senior ANC leaders after Kula’s arrest in January 2023. That argument did not persuade the judge at this stage.
Kula has remained incarcerated since his bail of R50,000 was cancelled in May 2024. He was one of the youngest MPs during the ANC’s sixth parliamentary administration, which began in 2019.
The matter was postponed to 5 August 2026, when the court is expected to set dates for Kula to begin presenting his defence and potentially testify. The defence has not ruled out calling its own witnesses. Judge Reddy indicated he will assess the weight of all testimonies once the case concludes.
Whether the evidence that persuaded the judge to proceed will ultimately persuade him to convict remains the open question at the centre of this trial.