A 42-year-old Free State man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend after brutally assaulting her during an argument in QwaQwa earlier this year.
The Bloemfontein High Court, sitting at the Harrismith Magistrate’s Court, sentenced Mzwakhe Paulos Mhlambi, of Phamong Village in QwaQwa, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of murdering 36-year-old Dibakiso Maria Motaung.
The court heard that on Sunday, January 25, at about 8.45am, Tseki police responded to a murder complaint at a house in the village.
Officers found Motaung lying motionless on the floor inside the home. She was half-naked and had visible bruises on her face and thighs. Emergency Medical Services declared her dead at the scene.
Police investigations revealed that Mhlambi repeatedly banged Motaung against a wall after accusing her of being unfaithful.
A post-mortem examination found that she died from internal bleeding caused by the assault. Investigators also recovered a panga found next to her body at the crime scene.
The murder investigation was led by Detective Sergeant Montane Mokitimi of the Tseki Detective Service.
On Thursday, the court convicted Mhlambi of murder, which was classified as femicide, before handing down a life sentence. The State was represented by Advocate Mkhabela.
Welcoming the outcome, Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia said the sentence sends “a strong message that crimes against women will not be tolerated”.
He added that “perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide will face the full might of the law”.
IOL News
