🇿🇦South AfricaSouthern Africa
Lesotho national receives life sentence for double murder on Komani farm
via The Citizen2 min read
Selebalo Mokoena, a 38-year-old Lesotho national, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murders of Tsolo Tsonamatsie and Khwezi Sishuba on a Komani farm in the Eastern Cape. Mokoena was also convicted of unlawfully entering and remaining in South Africa. The Makhanda High Court, sitting as the Komani Circuit Court, heard that Mokoena, a shepherd, harbored a grievance against both victims following a payment dispute and an altercation with Tsonamatsie. Motivated by anger and revenge, Mokoena first assaulted Tsonamatsie with an axe on May 13, 2025, causing fatal skull and brain injuries. After fleeing, Mokoena threatened Sishuba, damaging his vehicle and attempting to burn his home. Undeterred, Mokoena returned to the farm on May 25, 2025, confronted Sishuba, and fatally stabbed him multiple times. Mokoena then fled to a neighboring farm where his girlfriend alerted the police, leading to his arrest. State Advocate Thandiwe Kaleni presented extensive evidence, including post-mortem reports, crime scene photographs, DNA evidence, and victim impact statements. The court accepted the State's argument that the murders were planned, brutal, and executed with extreme violence, and found no compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. Mokoena received life imprisonment for each murder count, with concurrent two-year sentences for immigration offenses. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana
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