Pretoria – Convicted killer, Lesiba Zacharia Moabi, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend Matshidiso Mocheko who was a mechanical engineering student at Lephalale TVET College.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said Mocheko was sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Polokwane on Tuesday.
“The victim, Matshidiso Mocheko, who was 27 at the time, was brutally killed by Lesiba Zachariah Moabi, who was believed to be her boyfriend. The incident happened on Monday 10 February 2020 at Onverwacht, Lephalale,” Mojapelo said.
The case was investigated by detective Sergeant Mambo Nndwamato of the Lephalale detectives.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the hefty sentence meted against the 38-year-old Mocheko.
“This sentence will send a strong message to other criminals intending to commit similar acts of gender-based-violence and femicide that the police are determined to make use of their sterling investigative skills to ensure that they are incarcerated for the rest of their lives,” Hadebe said.
On Monday, two men appeared before the High Court in Polokwane for the murder of primary school teacher Mohlale Precious Magabane.
The murder accused, Ashan Fraz Cheema, 30, and Raza Ali, 26 – from Pakistan – face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, defeating the course of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and illegal immigration.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused committed the offences on December 23, 2018.
“It is alleged that Magabane and Cheema were in a love relationship. Both the accused went to the deceased apartment and an argument started among them. Both the accused assaulted and killed her with a knife,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
“They then dismembered the deceased’s body and placed her body parts in several refuse bags. They placed the refuse bags in the vehicle and drove around, disposing of the body parts and buried the head and arms in a shallow grave.”
At the time of her murder, Magabane was a teacher at Kabishi Primary School in Mashamothane village.
IOL