Amantle Samane’s family demands life sentence for killer

August 19, 2025 60

Warning: This article contains references to rape and murder, which may be distressing to some readers.

The family of six-year-old, Amantle Samane, is demanding the harshest possible sentence for her self-confessed rapist and murderer, Phete Simiao.

Simiao’s appeared at the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, for pre-sentencing proceedings, after pleading guilty to all charges levelled against him.

The 25-year-old Mozambican national appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday for pre-sentencing proceedings after pleading guilty to all charges — including kidnapping, rape, murder, and contravention of the Immigration Act.

Amantle’s body was discovered in a shack in Orlando East, Soweto, in October 2024, shortly after she was reported missing. In his plea statement, Simiao admitted to luring the child to his shack while intoxicated, where he raped her, and then strangled her to conceal the crime.

The matter has been postponed to 1 September for sentencing, with Simiao to remain in custody until then.

His defence argued that the guilty plea shows remorse, but the state countered that a written admission without testimony does not amount to true accountability.

During the proceedings, Simiao’s defense argued that his guilty plea showed remorse. However, the state countered that an admission in writing, without taking the stand, does not fully demonstrate accountability.

Amantle’s mother, Ntombizodwa Samane, broke down as she delivered an emotional victim impact statement, describing how the loss of her last-born shattered her life.

She also revealed the devastating impact on her surviving children, saying they had to stop counselling because they were deemed unresponsive, while she herself abandoned therapy to avoid risking her new job.

Judge William Karam, along with Lifeline’s, Duduzile Thabethe, urged the family to resume therapy.

Meanwhile, Orlando East residents have dismissed Simiao’s claim that he voluntarily handed himself over, insisting he was on the run for two days before being arrested following a police tip-off.