South African court sentences man to 32 years in jail for murder of ex-girlfriend
A South African court on Thursday sentenced a man to a cumulative 32 years in jail for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Sandile Mantsoe was sentenced to 30 years for the murder of Karabo Mokoena, five years for assault and four years for defeating the ends of justice. Two of the five years for assault, as well as three of the four years for obstruction of justice, will run concurrently with the murder sentence.
“The court cannot describe you in any other way but as a devil in disguise‚” judge Peet Johnson said as he read through his judgment in the High Court in Johannesburg.
“I am guessing you thought that your riches would get you everywhere but they got you nowhere‚” he added.
Mantsoe’s lawyer had pushed to get him a minimum sentence‚ but Johnson said he “deserved nothing less than a harsh punishment”‚ emphasizing that he would need to pay the price for killing Mokoena.
He said the sentence should serve as a warning to others that abuse against women will not be tolerate.
During sentencing proceedings earlier in the morning, Mantsoe said: “I am very remorseful. I knew a lot of things about her that she was trying to escape from. Both me and her were very secretive. I feel like I had failed her. I felt like the good that we have worked on… I disappointed her. It hurt me because I inspired her a lot.”
On Wednesday, Mantsoe was found guilty of defeating the ends of justice and of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Mokoena’s charred remains were found by a passer-by in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg in April 2017.
