The Polokwane High Court has sentenced 59-year-old Molabe Fannie Seribishane to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his wife, 52-year-old nurse Mamsy Seribishane. The sentencing was handed down on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
Limpopo Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the judgment.
Mamsy Seribishane was fatally shot on 22 October 2024 at approximately 17:30 near the gate of Lebowakgomo Hospital while reporting for duty. The gunman fled the scene in a white Volkswagen Golf 7.
The murder case was initially registered at the Lebowakgomo SAPS before being assigned to Provincial Detectives. The investigation, led by Captain Phaladi Makola of the Provincial Tracking Team, uncovered evidence linking the deceased’s husband to the crime. Investigators revealed that the couple was in the process of divorcing at the time of the incident and that a protection order had previously been granted against the accused.
After going into hiding following the murder, Seribishane was arrested on 13 November 2024 by members of the Provincial Tracking Team and the Provincial Investigation Unit while visiting his residence to collect personal belongings. A 9mm pistol was recovered in his possession. Investigations confirmed the firearm had been stolen in Seshego in June 2024, and subsequent ballistic analysis conclusively linked it to the murder of Mamsy Seribishane.
During the trial, which was prosecuted by Advocate David Sebelebele, Seribishane denied any involvement in the crime throughout the proceedings. His applications for bail were unsuccessful. The State’s case was significantly strengthened by technological analysis presented by DPCI PCMC cellphone expert Captain Machoene Mabotja, which placed the accused at the crime scene.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Karin Leanee Pillay described the State’s case as watertight. She noted that Seribishane had shown no remorse and that the court found he had planned and executed the murder of his wife.
Seribishane was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Murder – Life imprisonment
Count 2: Contravention of the Domestic Violence Act – Six years imprisonment
Count 3: Possession of an unlicensed firearm – Fifteen years imprisonment
Count 4:Possession of ammunition – Six years imprisonment
The court ordered that the sentences on Counts 2, 3, and 4 run concurrently with the life sentence imposed for murder. The accused was further declared unfit to possess a firearm. Additionally, the court advised the deceased’s family of their right to make representations before the parole board when the offender becomes eligible for parole consideration.
