Josias Kibi Leboho sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his ex-fiancée in the Polokwane High Court.
A taxi driver was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his erstwhile fiancée.
The Limpopo Polokwane High Court convicted and sentenced Kibi Josias Leboho (36) to life imprisonment for murder of Tshepo Rakoma (29).
He was arrested on 06 May 2021 after he shot and killed Tshepo instantly in a parking lot of shopping Centre in the Polokwane CBD. He then climbed on top of a building threatening to commit suicide, however, the police negotiators convinced him otherwise and arrested him.
Leboho was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, three years for unlawful possession of firearm and one year of direct imprisonment for count of unlawful possession of ammunition.
During the trial Leboho told the court that he was in the scene to assist the mother of his children and she was killed by unknown person. In aggravation of the sentence, the state advocate Malebo Maleka has submitted that the accused did not abandon his plan to kill the deceased even though he had many opportunities to do so, the offence was premeditated and deserving of a life sentence.
She further said that the fact that the accused has paid dowry for the deceased does not mean she was his property. The advocate concluded by saying that the accused never showed any remorse throughout the proceedings.
In sentencing, Judge Griet Muller remarked that the offence was premeditated and it is a family tragedy. He then said that the family will never see the deceased again because of the accused. He further remarked that there are no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.
“As NPA we say no to any form of violence including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or economic. The DPP advocate Ivy Thenga commended the good work done by Adv. Maleka and Investigating officers Ratsoma Phillemon and Moloko Jeffrey Mabitsela of Polokwane Police Station,” says NPA Regional Spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.