Woman Convicted Of Murdering Six-Year-Old Girl In Eastern Cape River
The Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha has convicted 23-year-old Noluvuyo Sinyikatha of murdering six-year-old Likuwe Mpokopi, who was found dead in a river.
A 23-year-old woman has been convicted of murdering a six-year-old girl after the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha found that she drowned the child in a river.
Noluvuyo Sinyikatha was convicted on Monday, August 7, 2026, of the premeditated murder of Likuwe Mpokopi.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the court found that Sinyikatha killed the child because she believed Likuwe’s mother was responsible for the death of her own nine-month-old baby.
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The child’s body was discovered floating in a river by women collecting firewood late in the afternoon on the day of the killing.
Community members gathered at the scene, but initially there was no clear explanation for how the child had drowned in the shallow stream, which was some distance from her home.
Witnesses Place Accused With Child
Two days after the child’s death, a community member informed police that she had seen Sinyikatha walking towards the river with Likuwe shortly before midday on the day of the murder.
The State also called another witness who said she had seen a woman matching Sinyikatha’s description dragging a young girl towards the river.
There were no eyewitnesses to the actual drowning.
However, the NPA said the court relied on the witness accounts, other circumstantial evidence and a confession made by Sinyikatha after her arrest.
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NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tiyali said Sinyikatha later attempted to repudiate the confession, but the court had ruled that it was admissible.
“Following her arrest, Sinyikatha confessed that she had killed the child because she believed her own baby had been killed by the deceased’s mother,” Tiyali said.
Confession Challenged In Trial
When the trial began, Sinyikatha challenged the admissibility of her confession, resulting in a separate trial-within-a-trial.
The court ultimately ruled that the confession could be admitted as evidence.
Tiyali said the deceased’s mother was the sister of Sinyikatha’s boyfriend and the father of Sinyikatha’s late child.
“The families had been living together at the Mpokopi homestead before the infant died following an illness,” he said.
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The State's case was that Sinyikatha blamed Likuwe’s mother for the death of her own baby and subsequently targeted the six-year-old.
The court ultimately found that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt despite the absence of a direct eyewitness to the drowning.
Sentencing Set For September
State Advocate Siphokazi Maarman led evidence during the trial, while the investigating officer was responsible for the investigation that resulted in the conviction.
Tiyali said Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Samkelo Mtwana had commended the prosecution and investigation teams for their work.
Attention will now turn to sentencing, which is scheduled for September 18, 2026.
“The State will seek an appropriate sentence that reflects the gravity of the offence,” Tiyali said.
The NPA said it remained committed to prosecuting crimes against vulnerable members of society and ensuring that victims and their families receive justice through the criminal justice system.
