A man and his two accomplices received a hefty jail sentence after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend.
On Wednesday, 13 September, the Welkom High Court sentenced Malefetsane Mpotle, Sebongile Matsorotso Soul, and Mojaki Pattern Phara to two life sentences and many years in jail after Mpotle’s girlfriend, Nini Pule, a student at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, Welkom campus, was found with her throat slit.
On 13 May 2021, Mpotle reported that he was travelling with Pule and her three-year-old son when they were hijacked.
He told Theunissen police that she remained in the car with the hijackers as they drove off. Her son, however, stayed with him.
A case of hijacking was registered for further investigation, which later revealed the boyfriend’s statement was false.
A search was initiated by neighbouring stations and the vehicle was spotted heading towards Winburg by retired detective WO Eddie Mothibi and Sgt Liezel van der Westhuizen.
In addition to the murder charge, a case of theft was opened after Pule’s cellphone was declared missing.
Further investigations resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Theunissen in August 2021, and Mpotle’s arrest a few days later Hennenman.
The first accused, Mojaki Phara, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, and handed an additional three years for the cellphone theft charge.
Sebongile Soul received 23 years’ imprisonment for murder and three years for the charge of theft. Mpotle was handed a life sentence for murder, three years for the cellphone theft charge, and an additional 12 months’ sentencing for defeating the ends of justice.
“I would like to applaud the investigators Van der Westhuizen and the retired Mothibi for conducting a thorough investigation which led to these heavy convictions. Ultimately, justice is served for the family of the late Nini Pule of Hennenman,” said Brig Mzondi Mojafi, acting district commissioner of Lejweleputswa.
