By OBAKENG MAJE
29 October 2026 – The police in the North West welcomes the sentencing of Pheko Andries Thebehali (35) to 15 years imprisonment for the murder of a woman (34). The accused was sentenced by the Mmabatho High Court on 27 October 2026, after being found guilty of murder.
The North West police spokesperson, Captain Majang Skalkie said the court further declared him unfit to possess a firearm. Skalkie said the incident occurred on 28 June 2024, when the deceased was reportedly at a tavern in Bodibe Village, near Mahikeng, accompanied by her friends.
“During the evening, the accused arrived and engaged in conversation with her. The two were later seen leaving the tavern together in the accused’s Volkswagen Caddy. This was the last time the deceased was seen alive. On 29 June 2024, the deceased’s family reported her missing at Sannieshof Police Station after she failed to return home and could not be located.
“On 2 July 2024, her body was discovered in bushes at Vetpan Farm in Lichtenburg by a truck driver travelling to the farm. The driver alerted his employer, who contacted the police. Emergency and Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) personnel declared the woman dead at the scene and a murder investigation was initiated,” she said.
Skalkie further said the accused was linked to the murder through the investigation, which included the collection and forensic analysis of DNA samples from both the accused and the deceased. She added that the forensic results subsequently confirmed a DNA match.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Arthur Adams said the conviction and sentence demonstrate the importance of thorough investigations, effective collaboration and the use of forensic evidence in solving serious crimes. Adams said they commend Detective Warrant Officer Itumeleng Mashabe and the entire investigation team for their persistence in following every available lead and ensuring that the accused was brought before the court to answer for his actions.
“We also acknowledge the role played by the state prosecutor, advocate Ferdinand Tlatsane in presenting the evidence before the court. We hope this outcome will bring some measure of comfort to the family of the deceased,” he said.
