LESOTHO NATIONAL SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND IN MANKWENG
POLOKWANE – A 37-year-old Lesotho national, Makoloi Gerald Tseko, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane for the murder of his girlfriend, a 26-year-old woman from Ga-Mothiba Ngwanamago, following a brutal attack that occurred in the Mankweng policing area.
The sentence relates to an incident that took place in the early hours of 16 January 2024 at Ga-Thaba Molepo. Police were alerted to a crime scene and, upon arrival, found the victim’s lifeless body with multiple stab wounds. Preliminary investigations established that the victim had been waiting for transport along the D4040 road when she was confronted by her boyfriend. It is alleged that the accused dragged her into nearby bushes where he stabbed her several times with a sharp object, resulting in her death.
The case was allocated to Detective Sergeant Mamabolo Makaepea of Mankweng SAPS, who immediately pursued all leads. During the investigation, information surfaced that the accused had fled to Thokoza, Gauteng. Through exceptional investigative work, Detective Sergeant Mamabolo located and arrested the suspect in Thokoza.
The accused remained in custody throughout several court appearances and was denied bail. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced as follows:
Murder: Life imprisonment
Kidnapping: 6 years’ imprisonment
Illegal immigration: 2 years’ imprisonment
The court ruled that the sentences for kidnapping and illegal immigration run concurrently with the life sentence. The accused was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended the investigating officer for his commitment and the successful conviction.
