A 24-year-old Thapelo Mabelane was on Wednesday, 29 March 2023, sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment by the Moretele Magistrates’ Court for attempted murder of his girlfriend.
The sentence emanates from a case in which Mabelane stabbed his girlfriend, Deliwe Motlolatshipi (19) with a knife on Friday, 18 March 2022, at her parental home in Mathibestad village, close to Makapanstad.
According to evidence led in court, on the said day, at about 23:00, the accused who was in the company of a male friend went to see the victim at her parental home. Upon arrival, he knocked on the door and the victim opened for him.
Thapelo then accused her of cheating and assaulted her with open hands. He further drew a knife out of his pocket and tried to stab their child who was sleeping on the bed.
She blocked the knife and it stabbed her on the hand. Subsequently, the victim was stabbed several times on the upper body. The convict fled the scene while the victim was transported to the local clinic for medical help.
She was later transferred to Jubillee hospital in Hamanskraal and later to George Mukhari hospital in Ga-Rankuwa.
Following investigations into the matter, police received information that Mabelane is hiding somewhere in Limpopo Province. With the assistance of the police in Limpopo, Mabelane was eventually arrested on Monday, 28 March 2022 and charged with attempted murder wherein he was found guilty as charged and sentenced.
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena expressed his appreciation to the Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Joel Tlou of Makapanstad Detectives and the entire team for leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that those perpetrating gender based violence related offences are facing the full might of the law.
