Man sentenced for killing his ex-girlfriend

Mpumalanga High sitting in Middelburg sentenced Jan Lepapiki Mafa from Kloporo near Siyabuswa to 25 years imprisonment for killing his ex-girlfriend, Mapula Moremi in September 2019.

Mafa and Moremi were in an intimate relationship since 2004. At a certain stage, Mafa left Moremi and when he returned he demanded the relationship to continue as normal. However, Moremi objected. 

READ | Man convicted for chopping his ex-lover to death

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, on the day of the incident, Mafa went to the house where Moremi was residing in Mdutjana and found her two grandchildren and her friend. 

“He enquired about the whereabouts of Moremi and he was told that she was in the bedroom. He instructed Moremi to leave with him but she refused. Moremi threatened that he will call the police. Mafa refused to leave, instead he went to the kitchen, took a knife and stabbed Moremi in front of the grandchildren several times and she died instantly. He further took her purse from her handbag with an undisclosed amount of money, a bag of snacks and fled the scene on foot.”

Six months later, Mafa was found in his hideout in Mamelodi informal settlements and was arrested.

ALSO READ | Man convicted to 30 years for murder of lover, rape and robbery

He pleaded not guilty. The State Advocate, Mmamphai Tshwane led testimonies of two eye witnesses. The Victim Impact Statement was also handed in, confirming the deep trauma suffered by the grandchildren such that they even failed their grades in 2019.

The court heard from Advocate Tshwane that Mafa did not show remorse for his actions. Tshwane emphasised on the scourge and prevalence of gender-based violence, arguing for a suitable sentence. 

The Judge, Hein Brauckman said violence by men towards women is endemic in this country. South Africa’s femicide rate is five times higher than the global average, therefore it is the duty of this court to impose harsh sentences to recognize the seriousness of the situation. He sentenced Mafa to 25 years imprisonment for murder and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. He ordered the sentences to run concurrently – the effective sentence being 25 years.

Jabulane Khumalo
Jabulane Khumalo
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