South African man sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for strangling his girlfriend to death and dumping her body in bush

The Sekgosese Regional Court in Limpopo, South Africa has jailed a 26-year-old man, Mojalefa Stoffel Sebashe, for the 2019 murder of his girlfriend.

The accused was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment on Tuesday, 22 November 2023.

Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, in a statement on Thursday, said Sebashe strangled his 28-year-old girlfriend to death.

"The court heard that on the evening of December 2, 2019, the accused (Sebashe) strangled his girlfriend at his parental homestead, at Senwamokgope, Vaalwater Village and thereafter dumped her body in the nearby bushes," said Mashaba.

The court heard that the slain woman's body was discovered by a community member the following day, in the morning.

Police were then summoned to the scene and upon arrival, they opened a case of murder and started with investigations.

Mashaba said that when an investigating officer was appointed, Sebashe was arrested in connection with the murder shortly afterwards, but the case against him was provincially withdrawn pending further police investigations.

"The accused made several court appearances until he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment on Tuesday, November 22," said Mashaba.

Meanwhile, Limpopo provincial commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed Sebashe's conviction and sentencing.

She emphasised that gender-based violence and femicide "have no place in our society."