Elvis Malebo was found guilty in the Northern Cape High Court of murdering Botshelo Evelyn Mochumi by stabbing her with a knife and a panga 34 times
A HARTSWATER man was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for killing his former girlfriend by stabbing her 34 times.
Elvis Malebo was found guilty in the Northern Cape High Court of murdering Botshelo Evelyn Mochumi by repeatedly stabbing her with a knife and a panga at the Aasgat shanties in Hartswater on June 14 this year.
Acting Judge Avril Mofokeng on Thursday sentenced Malebo to 25 years’ imprisonment for murder and a further 12 months’ imprisonment for the assault of Mosimanegape Maamogwa.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Malebo tendered a plea explanation as evidence of what transpired on the day of the incident.
According to Malebo’s plea explanation, he stabbed Mochumi in a rage after finding her naked with Maamogwa.
Malebo said he discovered the pair just days after Mochumi had told him that she suspected that she was pregnant.
He said that he bought pregnancy tests, but that Mochumi had refused to take one. He later discovered that one of the tests was missing.
Malebo pleaded guilty to the offence and has been in custody since.
The forensic report stated that Mochumi was stabbed 34 times and that her brain was swollen, flat and pale in colour, which indicated a loss of blood.
Mofokeng, during her judgment, said that Malebo had been convicted of a very serious crime which is all too prevalent in society.
“The deceased was brutally murdered at the hands of her lover. She managed to run off during the attack, however, the accused nonetheless chased her and continued to stab her. The accused stabbed the deceased until she apologised,” said Mofokeng.
She said that Malebo’s personal circumstances, however, showed that he might have acted on the spur of the moment and that he could be rehabilitated.
“It was submitted by the defence that a sentence of life imprisonment would be harsh. The accused was 26 years of age during the commissioning of the offence. He was angered by the fact that he had found the deceased naked with another man. He has pleaded guilty to the charges, which is a sign that he is remorseful. The accused is also a first offender who had been taking care of his family financially. He is also not a person with an inherently lawless nature and can be rehabilitated.”
Mofokeng said the incident can be regarded as a crime of passion.
“The personal circumstances of the accused on their own do not justify a deviation from the statutory prescribed sentence. However, having found his supposedly pregnant girlfriend in bed with another man renders the murder akin to a crime of passion. The circumstances of the crime justified a deviation.”
Police spokesperson Captain Sergio Kock said that they welcomed the sentence.
“The Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major-General Phiwe Mnguni, commended the investigating officer, Sergeant Abraham Mokae from the Hartswater Detectives, for a job well done. The provincial commissioner condemns the incident and reiterated that the sentence will send out a stern message to all persons who are planning on committing gender-based violence,” said Kock.
