By BAKANG MOKOTO
29 September 2025- A man (33) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hopetown Magistrate’s Court for murder of his ex-girlfriend. This comes after a victim (21) was involved in an argument with the accused, Mohammed Rohman.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Merapelo Pilane said during the altercation, a scuffle broke out and Rohman strangled the victim with a piece of cloth until she became unresponsive. Pilane said after realizing that she had died, the accused locked the victim inside the house together with her child (7) and fled the scene.
“He later attempted to escape to Gauteng Province by hitching a ride with a Correctional Services official. The officer became suspicious after overhearing the accused speaking on the phone about the incident and immediately drove him to the nearest police station in Christiana.
“The accused was subsequently transported back to Hopetown, where he was charged with murder as well as contravention of immigration laws,” she said.
Pilane further said Detective Warrant Officer Phillip Kleynhans, the investigating officer, was commended for his thorough investigation and for successfully opposing bail throughout the proceedings. She added that following multiple court appearances, the accused was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, along with an additional three months for being in the country illegally.
“He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Pilane.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, has welcomed the sentence. Otola praised the excellent work carried out by Detective Warrant Officer Kleynhans, highlighting the importance of holding perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence accountable.
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