Legal practitioner gets life imprisonment for murder of girlfriend in her home

The High Court in Joburg has sentenced Kabelo Gift Rasepae, for the murder of his girlfriend Olive Gobonwana Motsomi, who was fatally stabbed, multiple times, at her place of residence in 2020.

The High Court in Joburg has sentenced Kabelo Gift Rasepae, for the murder of his girlfriend Olive Gobonwana Motsomi, who was fatally stabbed, multiple times, at her place of residence in 2020.

Published Jun 22, 2022

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Pretoria – The Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, Advocate Andrew Chauke has welcomed the sentence of life imprisonment that was handed down by the High Court in Joburg in a gender-based violence case against Kabelo Gift Rasepae, for the murder of his girlfriend in January 2020.

Olive Gobonwana Motsomi, had been in a 10-year relationship with Rasepae when she was stabbed several times at her place of residence.

“Rasepae thereafter took her to Robinson Hospital in Randfontein, where he told the hospital staff that, he, together with Motsomi, were victims of a house robbery. He left Motsomi under the care of the hospital, alleging that he was rushing back home to attend to their children, that were left unattended when he rushed Motsomi to the hospital,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.

Motsomi succumbed to the stab wounds later that day.

“Rasepae was arrested by members of the Mogwase South African Police Service on 23 January 2020 whilst in possession of Motsomi’s vehicle in Rustenburg, following him fleeing to the North West province,” Mjonondwane said.

“The case was then assigned to Warrant Officer Coenrad who meticulously investigated the case after identifying Rasepae as the first suspect, following information received from Motsomi’s family that, the couple did not have any children and that the accused called the brother of the deceased on Christmas day of 2019, informing him that the deceased had ended their relationship and was seeing someone else.”

In aggravation of sentence, senior State Advocate Patric Mkhari submitted a victim impact statement, authored by the probation officer, Thato Modise, detailing that Motsomi’s mother had been left traumatised and is now dependent on anti-depressants, as she cannot accept that her child has been taken away in such a brutal way.

Mkhari also argued that society relies on the court system to root out the pandemic of gender-based violence, by removing perpetrators.

He said Motsomi was a legal practitioner, which means he believed in the criminal justice system and that justice should prevail.

Acting Judge Baloyi, who presided over the trial, remarked that Rasepae brutally killed Motsomi, in the sanctity of her home and failed to present substantial and compelling circumstances to warrant a deviation from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.

IOL