Sergeant Nyiko Nyathi, a policewoman, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder of her husband Alber Mashego and his pregnant girlfriend Victoria Lebjane in February 2024. A group of men, hired by Nyathi, forcibly entered Mashego's home, then went to Lebjane's home where both victims were shot and killed. One suspect, Witness Monareng, was convicted and sentenced to 77 years in prison. Three other accomplices are on trial. Nyathi surrendered to police in March 2025 and is awaiting trial. Conflicting versions of the murder circumstances have emerged, with investigations ongoing.
Country: South Africa
State/Province: None
City/Region: Bushburg
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Married
Relationship Duration:
Incident Date: Feb. 5, 2024
Relationship Origins:
Relationship Stages:
Contributing Factors:
Red Flags:
Motives:
Relationship Outcomes:
How the relationship or connection began.
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2024-02-05
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
True Crime Julia · Original language: English
Policewoman ordered hit of her husband and his pregnant girlfriend
Jealousy
The case involves a married couple where the wife allegedly orchestrated the murder of her husband and his pregnant girlfriend, indicating jealousy and domestic conflict as central dynamics. The involvement of hired accomplices and a violent escalation pattern reflects a premeditated act within a troubled marital relationship.
Police identified and arrested the main suspect Witness Monareng through fingerprint evidence. He confessed and implicated accomplices and the alleged mastermind, Nyiko Nyathi. Nyathi was arrested after initially evading arrest and is held awaiting trial. Multiple versions of the murder circumstances exist, with ongoing court proceedings for accomplices.
Conflicting versions of the murder sequence exist, including whether the husband was killed at the girlfriend's home or after being taken from his own home with another girlfriend. These discrepancies remain unresolved pending court examination.
On February 5, 2024, armed men entered Alber Mashego's home demanding valuables. They forced him to call his pregnant girlfriend Victoria Lebjane to obtain a bank card. The group then traveled to Victoria's home, where both victims were shot and killed. Fingerprint evidence led to the arrest and conviction of Witness Monareng, who confessed and named accomplices and Nyiko Nyathi as the mastermind. Nyathi was arrested in March 2025 and charged. Alternative narratives about the murder sequence have emerged but await judicial resolution.
High risk due to escalation of domestic conflict to lethal violence, involvement of multiple offenders, and possible ongoing legal and investigative complexities.
Jealousy and domestic conflict can escalate to orchestrated lethal violence involving hired perpetrators. Early identification of threats and controlling behaviors in marital relationships is critical. The case highlights complexities in investigations when multiple versions of events arise and the importance of forensic evidence.
The involvement of hired killers and the violent attack on both the husband and his pregnant girlfriend were key early signals of severe domestic conflict and premeditation.
Fingerprint evidence linking suspects to the crime scene and the confession of the convicted suspect were crucial clues connecting the case and identifying the mastermind.
Forensic fingerprint evidence and the confession of the convicted suspect were the strongest evidence types.
Not reported.
New versions of the murder sequence emerged after the arrest of Nyiko Nyathi, suggesting alternative scenarios that have not yet been tested in court.
The exact sequence of events on the day of the murders remains unclear, with conflicting accounts about where and how the victims were killed.