Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa – A 47-year-old woman, Pamela Ncumisa Selani, was sentenced to three life terms in the Pretoria High Court on Monday for the murders of her two lovers and her teenage son.
The court found Selani guilty of killing Michael Changisa, a boyfriend, in 2016 after she believed he infected her with HIV. She enlisted the help of another boyfriend, Gift (last name not released), who bludgeoned Changisa to death with a hammer in Selani’s home while her young children were present. Both Changisa and Gift were buried in the backyard.
A year later, Selani and her 17-year-old son, Avile Jonjwana, allegedly conspired to kill Gift due to his abusive behavior. They poisoned him and drowned him before burying him in the same shallow grave as Changisa.
Avile, who struggled with drug addiction, later threatened to expose Selani’s crimes unless she gave him money. In response, Selani attacked Avile with a hammer in their home while her younger son hid outside. Avile died, and Selani buried him on top of the previous victims.
The horrifying truth came to light in 2020 when Selani took her younger son, now 14, to a traditional healer. The traumatized teenager revealed the murders to the healer, who alerted a community leader. The leader then contacted the police, leading to Selani’s arrest.
During the trial, Selani pleaded not guilty, claiming she was a first-time offender and the men’s actions drove her to violence. However, the prosecution successfully argued that Selani showed no remorse and deserved the harshest punishment for her calculated killings.
Judge Papi Masopa agreed, calling Selani “an evil woman” who displayed no empathy for her victims. He sentenced her to three life terms, one for each murder, with an additional five years for attempting to obstruct justice.
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