SASOLBURG – A Sasolburg man was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Kgatliso Maleshano.

The judgment was handed down on July 14 by the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein following a long-standing trial.

Almost two years after the heinous crime, Teboho Tshabalala (37) finally faces the might of the law for stabbing and killing Maleshano.

According to police spokesperson Sergeant Josephine Rani, the 37-year-old man fled the scene after his passionate crime.

He was later arrested in Limpopo, two months after evading arrest.

Speaking to Ster, Rani detailed the fateful night when the then 32-year-old was stabbed and left for dead at the hands of her lover.

“In September 2023, our officers received a murder complaint at about 19:00. Our Sasolburg officers were dispatched immediately. On arrival at the scene, our men and women in blue found the lifeless body of Maleshano in a pool of blood just outside her residence,” she explained.

Rani said the tireless efforts by an investigating officer led to the arrest of the suspect.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased had been stabbed multiple times with a knife before the suspect fled the scene. Following a thorough investigation and mobilisation of neighbouring stations in locating the suspect, Tshabalala was later apprehended and arrested in the early hours of 30 September at Vaal Water,” she added.

Rani said efforts made by the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Lillian Dhlamini, attached to the Sasolburg detectives, ensured that justice was served and the perpetrator was removed from society.

Speaking to the paper, Dhlamini said she was happy with the sentencing.

“Beyond everything else, seeing the family of the victim receiving justice leaves me happy. People such as Tshabalala do not deserve to exist in our communities. This goes to prove that the might of the law will always fall hard for those who break the law in our communities,” she said.