By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Courts in the Free State wrapped up women’s month on a high note by handing down heavy sentences to two accused in separate rape and murder cases involving a young girl and woman victim.
The Phuthaditjhaba Regional Court sentenced Thabo Eric “Molebe” Mokoena from Naledi Village, QwaQwa, to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for the rape of an 11-year-old girl in 2024.
The court heard that on the night of 9 August 2024, Mokoena forced entry into the victim’s home and raped her in the dining room while her grandmother was present.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, said the matter was immediately reported to the police, leading to Mokoena’s swift arrest.
“Investigation indeed led to his arrest and subsequent prosecution for housebreaking with intent to rape and a count of rape,” Mophiring said.
He further commended the court for ensuring justice was served, stressing the importance of protecting vulnerable groups, particularly children and women.
In a separate case, the Free State High Court sentenced Motlholo Kenneth Melamu Seopa to life imprisonment for the merciless and brutal murder of his 19-year-old girlfriend, Tshepang Cecelia Mohapi, of Harmony Farm.
Seopa fatally stabbed Tshepang in her home, in front of her 12-year-old sibling, on Monday, 3 April 2025.
Testifying under oath, the younger sibling said she watched helplessly as Seopa stabbed Tshepang multiple times with a sharp object on the right shoulder, upper arm, and rib cage, despite her desperate pleas for him to stop. She eventually ran out of the house to alert their mother, who was visiting neighbours at the time.
According to police, the mother returned to find her daughter lying in a pool of blood. Tshepang was rushed to the local hospital by emergency personnel but sadly succumbed to her stab wounds.
Major-General AP Adams, District Commissioner of Mangaung, welcomed the sentence.
“As the scourge of gender-based violence continues, so does the relentless pursuit by our dedicated men and women to bring perpetrators to justice. May this conviction and sentence ultimately bring closure to the grieving loved ones,” Adams said.
