By Kabelo Abel Mokgalabone
GA-MOGOBOYA: The Polokwane High Court in Limpopo has sentenced a 40-year-old Mpho Godfrey Nemagovhani of Mbilwi in Vhembe district to two life terms for rape and murder of Grace Mosike Mogoboya (11).
The incident took place on 28 June 2009 in Khoopo village,Lephepane in Greater Tzaneen.
The minor’s mother and the accused met at a tavern. She offered him a place to sleep for the night seeing that he had no place to stay. She then instructed certain people to take the accused to her home while she remained behind at the tarven with her boyfriend.
She then spent the night at her boyfriend’s place and left the minor child with Nemagovhani in the homestead. He then raped and throttled the minor, after which he dumped the body at the back of the house.
In aggravation of sentence, the state advocate Ronald Sithada argued that the trial was delayed by the accused who kept on firing lawyers, and the family waited for more than 12 years to find closure. Further, the accused has a pending case of rape and murder in Nelspruit.
He further submitted that Nemagovhani had bitten the hand that feeds, as he had raped and killed a child of the person who had offered him shelter.
Adv. Sithada pleaded with the court not to deviate from imposing the minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Judge Geriet Muller agreed with the state and sentenced Nemagovhani to two life sentences. He ordered that he be declared unfit to possess a firearm and that his name be recorded into sexual offenders’ register.
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