By Obakeng Maje

Upington-A 31 year-old man was sanctioned to prison for 22 years after was found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder.

Bodiki Fani Semho was arrested by police on the 9 May 2011 and he confessed that he robbed and killed Mantswe Frederick Lokailwe.  

Police said Lokaile took Semho to a hiking spot and Lokailwe was attacked by the suspect on their arrival.

“It is said that Semho hit Lokailwe with a wheel spanner at a hiking spot while he was busy offloading his bags from the car. Semho further suffocated him with him t-shirt and left him to die” colonel Priscilla Naidu said.

Lokailwe’s body was dumped along the gravel road by the suspect and drove to Kuruman where he used the deceased car as a maxi taxi.

The car was spotted by Lokailwe’s faily member and informed the police.

“Semho was arrested and charged with robbery with aggraviting circumstances and murder” Naidu said.

He confessed to the murder and led the police to the scene of crime.

“Police found the badly decomposed body dumped alongside the road.

The accused remained in police custody until the finalisation of the case. He was convicted to 12 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and 22 years for murder” police said. The 12 year sentence will run concurrently with the other sentence. 

The prosecutor, Adv Jacques Rosenberg commended police in their investigation of this case. “He added that due to the thoroughness in the investigation,  the accused had no option but to plead guilty” she said.  

The accused had no motive for killing his friend.

“The accused Semho back in court soon to face charges of escaping from custody” Naidu said. 

He escaped from police cells in 2012-11-01 but was arrested soon after.

“We are proud of the members of the SAPS who like D/Cst  Tsholofelo Mphafi  who works tirelessly to bring criminals to book and to make sure that they remain behind bars and away from society. Their dedication towards the safekeeping of our society is a shining example of the kind of officers we expect in the SAPS’, commented the Cluster Commander of the Pofadder cluster, Lt Col Nico Beukes.

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