By Emily Setona
HARRISMITH – A 51-year-old Bohlokong man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping, raping and murdering 11-year-old Boitumelo Princess Ranyamatsane, whose body was found abandoned near a railway line in December last year.
The Free State High Court, sitting in the Harrismith Magistrate’s Court , handed down the sentence on Monday, 24 November, after the accused, Dingaan Petrus Mbele from Phase 7 in Bohlokong, pleaded guilty to all charges and submitted a written confession. The crimes were committed on 29 December 2024 when he lured the young girl under false pretences, assaulted her, and later dumped her body.
Judge Lani Opperman described the crime as one that “strikes at the heart of the nation” and said offences against children continue to show the magnitude of South Africa’s crisis of violence.
“This case is beyond comprehension,” she said, adding that Boitumelo had been a vibrant and trusting child who “suffered greatly, while the accused seeks mercy from this court, having shown none to the child.”
The judge found the acts to be premeditated, saying Mbele remained a danger to society. She said the Ranyamatsane family was not seeking revenge but simply justice for a life taken too soon. The case was investigated by Detective Sergeant Lebakeng from the Bohlokong Detective Service.
Mbele’s criminal history includes a conviction for attempted murder in Springs, Gauteng, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2001. He was also convicted of theft and declared unfit to possess a firearm. He was released on parole in 2007, which expired in 2011.
On Count 1 for kidnapping, he was sentenced to 15 years. On Count 2 for rape, he received life imprisonment. On Count 3 for murder, he also received life imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective life term. His name will be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The child’s mother reported her missing after returning from work, unaware that she had unknowingly crossed paths with the man responsible for her daughter’s death shortly after he had dumped the body. She now continues caring for Boitumelo’s two-year-old brother.
Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, spokesperson for the Thabo Mofutsanyana SAPS, said the conviction brought some relief to a devastated family and community.
“We hope this sentence sends a strong message that crimes against children will not be tolerated,” he said.
Boitumelo was a Grade 4 learner at Bethlehem Combined School, remembered as playful, helpful and hardworking. She dreamed of one day becoming a teacher and often practiced teaching other children at home and school.
