Durban - A man who stabbed his girlfriend 23 times has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mahlatse Stephen Rapelwana, 29, was sentenced in The Limpopo Polokwane High Court.
Rapelwana was found guilty of killing his girlfriend Nancy Selome at the Bolobedu Sethone village on December 26, 2020.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) the two were in a relationship at the time of the murder.
On the day on the incident, Selome and her friend were at a tavern in Kubjana village.
NPA provincial spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said that at around 2am when the tavern closed she met Rapelwana.
“He wanted to talk to the deceased but she refused. She then told him that she wants her personal belongings that she left at his house. Rapelwana threatened the deceased that he will kill her,” she said.
Malabi-Dzhangi said while walking on the streets of Mopye village, the accused assaulted the deceased with clenched fists in the presence of her friend, but her friend reprimanded the accused.
“They continued walking and the accused then tripped the deceased and she fell on the ground. The accused further came on top of her and stabbed her 23 times on her back with a pair of scissors,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
The NPA said when Rapelwana realised he killed Selome, he alerted people who were staying nearby that he killed a person and they should call the police.
He left the scene and went home.
During aggravation of sentencing, State advocate, Sontaga Malefahlo noted that gender-based violence cases were prevalent in SA and it has become a pandemic.
“Only our courts can deter people like the accused from committing similar offences by imposing harsher sentences,” he said.
IOL