Elderly west man jailed for life for killing girlfriend

The Pretoria high court has sentenced an elderly man to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of killing his girlfriend.

Police spokesperson Mapula Rikhotso applauded the sentencing saying it came in good time as women’s month just came to a close.

She said the sentence was thanks to the investigation by Constable Amanda Mahlangu and Sergeant Minky Letadi.

The court jailed Johannes Mabethwa (62) on Friday after he was charged with premeditated murder that took place last year November.

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“The sentence was handed down following a meticulous investigation that left no stone unturned to gather all the evidence that would seek for the highest conviction,” Rikhotso said.

She said Mabethwa was arrested after “intense investigation” after his then girlfriend was discovered strangled and dumped at the intersection of Schuverberg Road and Church Street.

Atteridgeville station commander Brigadier Mbangwa Nkhwashu expressed his excitement at the good work conducted under the leadership of Colonel Phillimon Siwela, the branch commander.

He said that criminals would no longer be roaming freely in Atteridgeville as police were “squeezing crime out of Atteridgeville”.

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Rikhotso said in an unrelated case, another Atteridgeville police officer secured a heavy sentence following a thorough investigation of a murder that took place in the nearby informal settlement in December last year in which the victim was stabbed 22 times.

Shadrack Junior Ngobeni (28), was handed an effective 15 years’ sentence.

Nkhwashu said that the momentum continued to ensure that criminals felt uncomfortable in their criminal activities.

He said officers were increasing the tempo in ensuring that criminals were “kept behind bars where they belong”.

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