The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela is delighted over the hefty sentence that was handed down to a 30-year-old murderer. The sentence was imposed today, Wednesday, 06 October 2021 by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting at Breyten to a man who murdered the mother of his two-year-old son at Piet Retief on 11 February 2021.

The decision to sentence the accused (his name is withheld for protection of the minor) was taken after enough evidence was presented in court which revealed details on how he brutally stabbed the 20-year-old woman to death.

The court heard that on the said day the man went to visit the mother of his child where she was residing with her grandmother and her son. Upon his arrival, the grandmother, at the time was unaware that their relationship was over, she (grandmother) then went and informed her granddaughter that she had a visitor. The two were left whilst the granny baby-sitted the child.

Moments later the boy child was sent to fetch something in her mother’s room and that is when it was discovered that the victim was stabbed and left bleeding profusely in a pool of blood by the accused who fled the scene thereafter. She was unfortunately certified dead by the paramedics and a murder case was opened accordingly by the police at Piet Retief. An investigation commenced and a manhunt was launched for the suspect.

The following day (12 February 2021) the accused handed himself to police at Piet Retief and he was charged accordingly but never pleaded guilty when he appeared in court even throughout the trial. Nonetheless, he was convicted yesterday (05 October 2021).

Prior to his sentencing today, the accused surprisingly asked the Acting Judge of the High Court, Takalani Vincent Ratshibvumo, to apologize to the woman’s family. When he was offered the opportunity to do so, the accused then said that he killed the victim, motivated by selfishness and jealousy after she decided to end the abusive relationship.

However, the Acting Judge was unequivocal in his decision and indicated that he does not have a reason to deviate from the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment for similar charges as the accused showed no remorse throughout the trial hence he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The court also declared him as unfit to possess a firearm.

The Provincial Commissioner further applauded the sterling work done by the team of Detectives, the Prosecution team as well as the Judiciary which culminated into the hefty sentence. The General also took the opportunity to send a stern warning to perpetrators of Gender-Based-Violence that tough punishment will be imposed to such offenders.

Source: South African Police Service