Amantle Samane’s Mother Badly Traumatised After Murder, Calls for 3 Life Sentences for Phethe Simiao

• Ntombizodwa Samane delivered an emotional testimony in the Johannesburg High Court on 19 August 2025
• Samane was testifying as part of the victim impact statement against Phethe Simiao, her daughter's murderer
• Simiao, a Mozambican national, raped and murdered the six-year-old girl in Soweto in October 2024

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – Ntombizodwa Samane is still traumatised following the brutal rape and murder of her daughter, Amantle.

The little girl, who was six at the time, was kidnapped, raped and murdered in October 2024 in Soweto. After first going on the run, Mozambican national Phethe Simiao was eventually arrested for the crime.

Speaking during sentencing proceedings, Samane spoke about the pain and trauma she was still going through following her daughter’s death.

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What did Samane say?

During sentencing proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court, Samane detailed the hurt she was going through.

“The fact that I lost my child hurts me so much. I have stress, and my emotions are not okay. I can’t sleep at night,” she explained.

“When going back to bed, I relive the pain and have flashbacks of the state I found her in,” she continued.

She added that she also relived the pain whenever she heard a child cry outside, which made her agitated.

Samane was testifying as part of the victim impact statement against Simiao. Adding to the hurt was the fact that proceedings were conducted on 19 August 2025, which also would have been Amantle’s seventh birthday.

Samane is calling for a harsher sentence for Simiao

The little girl’s mother also called for a harsh sentence for Simiao, saying that the trauma was affecting her mentally and spiritually, as a part of her wanted revenge.

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“I now hate foreign nationals. I want revenge, but my God and church do not allow that. I wish South Africa could be like Botswana; when you kill, you get killed. I want Simiao to get three life sentences. The life of my child was cut short, and he knew what he was doing,” she stated.

What will happen to Simiao?

Sentencing proceedings have been postponed to 1 September 2025, when the Mozambican national will out his fate. During his last appearance, he pleaded guilty to the charges, saying that he was intoxicated at the time he took the six-year-old to his shack.

He confessed that he saw her playing in the street, kept her in his shack against his will, raped her and then strangled her. He then fled the area until he was eventually arrested for the crime.

SA demands a harsh sentence as Simiaio pleads guilty

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Briefly News reported that South Africans called for a harsh sentence when Simiao appeared in court on 11 August.

The 25-year-old appeared in court, where he pleaded guilty to the 2024 rape and murder of a six-year-old girl, Amantle.

Samane's body was found in Simiao's shack on 22 October 2024, in Orlando, Soweto.

Khayelitsha couple abandons bail bid in Lolitha Kowa murder

Briefly News reported that Odwa Jack and Nokuthula Matyeseni have abandoned their bail application in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court. The couple appeared in court on 20 August 2025, charged with the murder and sexual assault of seven-year-old Lolitha Kowa. They were arrested on 23 July 2025, a day after the little girl was last seen alive.

Her body was found dumped in a street near her last known location. She had wounds on her arms, forehead, and a screwdriver stuck in her head. She also had a sock in her mouth.

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The couple abandoned their bail bid in their latest appearance in court after alternative addresses could not be secured. Their Legal Aid lawyer told the packed courtroom that the families of the accused refused to take them in, should they be granted bail.

Jack and Matyeseni cannot return to their home in Khayelitsha either, as it was set alight by angry community members. They will now remain behind bars until their next appearance in October.

Source: Briefly News