LESOTHO NATIONAL SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDER
The Randburg Magistrates’ Court handed down a life imprisonment sentence plus additional 2 years to Paul Molatsi Shene, a 42-year-old Lesotho national for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend Lerato Makume (32).
Shene’s heinous crime was perpetrated during a financial dispute that led to her strangulation by the accused in her residence at Zandspruit (Honeydew) on 30 April 2023. The accused left the decomposing body in the shack for several days and the neighbors noticed the stench and alerted the landlord. Upon discovery of the body, the accused fled the scene after a community member notified him about the police investigation but was later apprehended by the police. During questioning, Shene claimed that he only intended to scare the victim, not to kill her.
Shene is a second time offender as he was previously sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for culpable homicide of his brother in 2012 and after serving the sentence, he was subsequently deported back to his country of origin. He illegally re-entered South Africa and within three months of his illegal return, murdered Makume.
Regional Court Prosecutor, Marike Lessing, successfully argued that the accused demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and such conduct warranted no deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
In accordance with the newly enacted Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Bill by the President, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) remains resolute in its commitment to combating the scourge of GBVF to ensure that justice is served for victims like Lerato Makume.
