Why does the state want 'Black Widow' to get more than 15 years in jail?

The Western Cape High Court today heard closing argument in Thandi Maqubela's sentencing proceedings.

JOHANNESBURG - Convicted murderer Thandi Maqubela will be sentenced on Tuesday, 16 months after she was convicted of killing her husband, an acting judge in Cape Town.

The Western Cape High Court had found the 60-year-old Jehovah's witness guilty of murder, fraud and forging his will.

Today, the court heard closing argument in sentencing proceedings.

Maqubela's lawyer Thomas Tyler says the fact that his client has not admitted to the offences or accordingly shown remorse, should not be seen as an aggravating factor.

Tyler instead asked the court to consider several mitigating factors, such as the fact that she was an industrious and even philanthropic member of society when deciding on an appropriate sentence.

Prosecutor Bonnie Bonnie Currie-Gamwo on the other hand argued in favour of a long imprisonment, in excess of the prescribed 15 years minimum sentence for murder.

Currie-Gamwo says Maqubela's actions showed a callous lack of empathy as she stayed for hours with her husband's decomposing body after killing him.

With regards to the fraud charge, she says Maqubela was willing to defraud her own children of their inheritance to satisfy her own needs for power and money.

The court earlier today heard Maqubela set out to destroy her husband's career by exposing his infidelities, and was motivated by anger and greed when she killed him and forged his will.