Rameez Patel appears in the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane. Picture: NPA Limpopo businessman Rameez Patel has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife, Fatima. The 38-year-old shot and killed his 28-year-old wife at their Nirvana apartment in Polokwane on 10 April 2015.
Appearing in the Limpopo High Court, sitting in Polokwane, Patel was further sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm and three years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition. The court also declared Patel – who pleaded not guilty when the trial began in 2016 – unfit to possess a firearm. Fatima was found dead in the couple’s apartment more than 10 years ago, following ongoing marital disputes related to Patel’s extramarital affairs.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, police evidence in court indicated that there were no signs of forced entry. Patel initially alleged that intruders were responsible for Fatima’s murder. “The court further heard that Patel instructed his younger brother, Razeen, to hide a box containing a firearm at a shop after the murder,” Malabi-Dzhangi said on Friday.
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“Razeen testified that the accused threatened to kill him if he disclosed the murder to anyone,” she added. He later reported the threats and Patel’s confession to the police.
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