The Joe Gqabi District SAPS has welcomed another successful conviction, highlighting the effectiveness of its crime-fighting efforts. A 31-year-old man, Motlatsi Mpharu, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted murder following a brutal attack on a 22-year-old woman earlier this year.
The incident occurred on 5 January 2025, when the victim, Mpho Kutoana, was visiting her boyfriend’s residence in Sterkspruit. An argument erupted after Mpharu accused her of infidelity. In a violent rage, he tied her with an electric cable, stabbed her in the left thigh, doused her in petrol, and set her alight. During the attack, Mpharu also caught fire and had to extinguish the flames.
Kutoana suffered severe burn wounds and was hospitalized at Mpilisweni Hospital for two months as a result of the assault.
On 23 May 2025, the Sterkspruit Regional Court found Mpharu guilty of attempted murder and handed down a 25-year prison sentence.
