Rustenburg - The Polokwane High Court in Limpopo has sentenced a 40-year-old man to two life terms for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Tzaneen, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
Mpho Godfrey Nemagovhani was found guilty of the rape and murder of Grace Mosike Mogoboya.
“The incident took place on 28 June 2009 in Khoopo village, Tzaneen. The minor’s mother and the accused met at a tavern. She offered him a place to sleep for the night, seeing that he had no place to stay. She then instructed certain people to take the accused to her home while she remained behind at the tavern with her boyfriend,” said the NPA’s spokesperson in Limpopo, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
“She then spent the night at her boyfriend’s place and left the minor child with Nemagovhani in the homestead. He then raped and throttled the minor, after which he dumped the body at the back of the house.”
Malabi-Dzhangi said in aggravation of sentence, State advocate Ronald Sithada argued that the trial was delayed by the accused, who kept on firing lawyers, and the family had waited for more than 12 years to find closure. Further, the accused has a pending case of rape and murder in Nelspruit.
“He further submitted that Nemagovhani had bitten the hand that feeds him, as he had raped and killed a child of the person who had offered him shelter.
“Advocate Sithada pleaded with the court not to deviate from imposing the minimum sentence of life imprisonment.”
Nemagovhani was sentenced to two life sentences, declared unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be recorded in the sex offenders register.
IOL