Mamone killer and rapist sentenced 

MAMONE

A murderer and child rapist from Mamone has been handed a hefty sentence by the Limpopo High Court on February 6.  Kgopotso Koma (29) was sentenced to two life term imprisonment for murder and rape of an eight-year-old girl. The court further ordered that the sentence in count one of murder should run concurrently with the count of rape.
The accused pleaded not guilty during the trial.
The state witnesses testified that on June 8 2019, at Mamone Village, the deceased Pompo Hope Seponye, was at home playing when the accused requested her to buy him cigarettes at a local tuck-shop.
“After a while, the accused followed the deceased to the shop, and he met her while on her way back. He then took her to a nearby house owned by the accused’s friend. Upon arrival at the house, the accused raped and strangled the deceased, ”said Limpopo NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
Malabi-Dzhangi added, “As it was getting late, the deceased’s parents and the community members started searching for her, and they found the deceased in the house lying on the bed, half naked and dead. The accused fled from the scene and the police arrested him after a few days.”
When aggravating the sentence, the state Advocate Rendani Mulaudzi, submitted that the accused was not remorseful of his conduct, and he took advantage of the deceased’s vulnerability.
She further said that the accused violated the deceased’s right to life and due to this offence, the family of the deceased had to relocate to another province as they lived in fear that a similar incident could take place. Mulaudzi concluded by submitting that there are no substantial or compelling circumstances for the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Adv. Ivy Thenga welcomed the sentence, and urged the public to fight against the violence towards women and children.