The 29-year-old Palesa Tshabalala told Judge Joseph Mhlambi that the murder of her father has left chaos in their lives and no amount of years imposed on Ramolete Masiu would bring back her father.

Palesa broke down in court while narrating how the death of her father left a void in their lives, including that of her brother, who she described as "not being the same anymore".

She has described her father as an active member of society and a leader in his community who played a father figure role not only to his own children but to other kids in the community as well. 

Judge Mhlambi sentenced Masiu to life in prison and further slapped him with an additional 15 years in jail for the murder of Tshabalala who was assaulted and killed on 24 May 2019 in Phelindaba in Mangaung, where a state vehicle - a Toyota Hilux bakkie - was stolen.

Judge Mhlambi said the accused did not show any remorse for the brutal murder of Tshabalala and further labelled his testimony in court as not trustworthy and honest following multiple contradictory statements.

Mhlambi said the testimony that the suspect was not aware of the planned murder of Tshabalala was not true because Ramasiu failed to disassociate him with the other accused before and after the commission of the crime.

He said this was clear to the court as Masiu had earlier said he had no intentions of spilling the beans to the police unless he was asked about the matter.

On 24 May 2018, the accused Masiu, the convict Sprinkaan Maema - who is serving a 33-year jail sentence - and two men identified as Lereng and Rapere planned an ambush where Tshabalala was fatally shot in Phelindaba in Mangaung.

The state earlier said that during the fatal day the deceased visited an acquaintance of him at a particular house in Tau Street, in Phelindaba, where he travelled in an official state vehicle, a Toyota Double Cab Bakkie. The state said the bakkie was equipped with an AVL tracking system and it was parked outside the house where Tshabalala was visiting. It was said that the deceased also had his official work cell phone.

“Whilst the deceased was inside the said house, he received a call on his cell phone to which he attended. Shortly thereafter, the attackers entered the house and attacked Tshabalala and several shots were fired and he was fatally wounded. The attackers took the vehicle keys and the cell phone from the deceased and left the house,” the state said.  

A Toyota Hilux belonging to the state was robbed but later recovered near Dewetsdorp in Bloemfontein and inside the Hilux, blood samples were taken and the DNA results showed that it was Masiu's blood. In court, Masiu claimed that after sustaining a gunshot wound in the leg he collapsed and did not know much about what happened after the murder of Tshabalala.

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