Patrick Kabelo Seleho was on Thursday sentenced for murdering his girlfriend, Yvonne Dibueng Mkhomte, in Zonderwater in Potchefstroom in 2019. The convicted murderer killed Mkhomte in cold blood by assaulting her with a sharp object and killing her with a spade on the night of 13 May last year in the presence of her three kids who were sleeping. This after Seleho accused the deceased of cheating. 

The National Prosecution Authority's (NPA) regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, says Seleho confessed to the heinous crime and pleaded guilty.

Mamothame says the court heard how Seleho locked the body of the deceased with these three children inside the house before he was later arrested after his uncle called the police. His sentencing comes as the country is commemorating the recent 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign.

Seleho was described by key witnesses as abusive and that he quite often assaulted Mkhomte for no reason. She reported him for assault and ultimately applied for a protection order which was issued on 8 May 2018. The order compelled Seleho not to insult, assault or threaten the applicant with violence, verbal abuse and harassment,” Mamothame says.

He says the state’s prosecutor, Advocate Takalani Muneri, asked for the maximum sentence to be meted out against Seleho, stating that Mkhomte’s murder was premeditated. “He further argued that cases of femicide and gender-based violence should be dealt with harshly to send a strong message to those who may commit a similar crime,” Mamotame adds.

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