A South African man, Sibusiso Lawrence, who killed his girlfriend, Nontobeko Cele, and posted a photo of her lifeless body on Facebook, was found dead by suicide, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred in the Malangeni area of Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and has sparked widespread outrage on social media. Lawrence’s shocking video confession and disturbing image of 25-year-old Cele lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds went viral on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
In the chilling video, Lawrence attempted to justify the murder, claiming his girlfriend wanted to leave him after receiving money from the Road Accident Fund (RAF). He also alleged mistreatment within their relationship as a motive for his actions.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that Lawrence’s body was discovered hanging from a tree on the morning of Wednesday, December 18.
“A man who had confessed to killing a woman on a social media video that went viral was found hanging on a tree on Wednesday morning at Malangeni area in Umzinto, a short distance from where he killed the woman,” Netshiunda said.
South African authorities responded to a call about a murder on a gravel road in Malangeni, where they found Cele’s bloodied body lying in the middle of the road with multiple stab wounds. A broken knife was recovered near her body.
“Her bloodied body was found with several stab wounds, and a broken knife was found next to her body,” Netshiunda added.
Investigations revealed that Lawrence had allegedly fetched Cele from her home earlier. It is suspected that a domestic altercation escalated, leading to the fatal stabbing. Police also found his vehicle abandoned nearby with blood on the front passenger seat, suggesting the attack occurred inside the car.
Following an immediate manhunt, police discovered Lawrence’s body hanging from a tree in what appears to be a suicide.
Authorities have opened a murder case and launched an inquest docket to investigate further.
The tragedy highlights growing concerns over domestic violence and femicide in South Africa. Advocacy groups continue to call for more robust interventions to address gender-based violence and its devastating consequences.
