By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
The High Court of South Africa; North West Division, sitting at the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court, sentenced Lesley Tsholofelo Mabalane(47), to 25 years for murder and a further 10 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered the sentence to run concurrently.
The matter relates to an incident that happened in Mabopane in October 2017, when Mabalane went to the house of Tlhomelang Selina Mmule, who was his lover and demanded to speak to her.
According to Henry Mamothame NPA Spokesperson, at that moment, Mmule had just returned from a night shift, where she works as a nurse and was preparing to go shopping with her daughter as they had prior plans.
Mamothame said that Mmule then informed her daughter to leave and promised to join her at the shops at a later stage, to which she obliged.
“Later, during the day when she realised that her mother is not joining her, she called her to no avail.
“She then went back home, and upon arrival she found her younger brother and a neighbour standing outside, indicating that they could not access the house as it was locked.
“The neighbour testified that she called Mmule’s cellphone and Mabalane answered the call before he swiftly hanged up,” Mamothame said.
Mamothame said the three then peeped through the windows of the house and saw the deceased lying on the floor without moving.
“They then sought help from a man, who was in a nearby yard and broke the door to gain entry.
“They found her lying on the floor, not fully dressed and motionless with bleeding stab wounds.
“Upon further investigations, they noticed that her phone and purse were missing.”
Police investigations led them to Mabalane’s home, where he was staying with his parents.
They found Mmule’s cellphone and purse hidden under the pillow in his bedroom.
Mabalane was described as a jealous partner, who was abusive towards the deceased.
Adv Takalani Muneri argued for a minimum prescribed sentence for murder.
However, Judge Francis Snyman, deemed it appropriate to sentence Mabalane to 25 years, after considering all factors surrounding the case, as well as the probation officer’s report, which declared Mabalane as a candidate for rehabilitation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari Sekhaolele, lauded the collaboration between the investigating officer and the prosecutor which resulted in a long jail sentence.
