The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the hefty sentence imposed by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting in Middelburg in the past week.
The sentence was handed down to a 16-year-old girl in a case involving a tragic incident that occurred in August 2023 at Loding Village near Vaalbank. The teenager was sentenced to a total of 18 years’ in prison for her role in the murder and aggravated robbery of Ms Grace Tebogo Sebothoma (64).
On 14 August 2024, the court sentenced the accused to 18 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Ms. Sebothoma, which she committed by stabbing her multiple times then robbed her of her personal belongings. In addition, the accused received a 10 years’ sentence for the robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered that the two sentences run concurrently.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi further emphasized the clarion call for society to join hands with the Police in safeguarding vulnerable populations. “We hope this sentence will send a strong message to young people who commit crime, which they will have to bear the consequences.
Take note that one of our strategies within the SAPS, is the Youth Crime Prevention Desk, which was established as a platform for young people to get together and engage in issues affecting them. We encourage young people to get involved in the fight against crime, not be perpetrators of crime,” said the General.