By BAKANG MOKOTO
30 April 2025- A man (31) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Atamelang Regional Court for murder. This comes after the accused, Jacob Molebo killed his three-month-old baby.
The tragic event occurred on 22 October 2020 at Setlagole village, near Atamelang. The investigations revealed that Molebo was in a romantic relationship with the mother of the deceased.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Sivenathi Gunya said on the fateful day, Molebo took the deceased from the mother and without any provocation, he threw and hit the deceased against the wall of the neighbour’s house. Gunya said the child sustained severe injuries from being thrown against a concrete wall with force.
“The court heard harrowing details about the crime, which illustrated the vulnerability of the victim. Molebo then left the mother there without any assistance.
“The mother then requested help from the neighbours and as a result the child was transported to the nearby clinic, where he was declared dead upon arrival,” he said.
Gunya further said the police were subsequently called and Molebo was arrested three days after the incident as the police could not trace him. He added that, the accused has been in custody since.
“In court, he pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder. In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor, advocate Edward Manicus argued against such deviations that were presented by the defence, referring to applicable statutes and case laws.
Manicus argued for life imprisonment to be imposed and submitted that there were no compelling and substantial circumstances adduced by the defence for the court to deviate from the applicable minimum sentence,” said Gunya.
The Magistrate, Stephan Du Toit in his judgment emphasised the court’s duty to protect vulnerable members of society and the alarming prevalence of murder offences against women and children in the area. Du Toit agreed with the state and sentenced the accused to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, welcoming the sentence, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, commended the investigative and prosecution teams for their dedication.
“We stand united in our resolve to ensure justice is served. Violent crimes will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will face the full might of the law,” she said.
The Guardian 