Kabelo Masoabi
THE Leribe Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Makheka Ramakhula of Ha Lota, Pitseng, to 15 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to charges of arson and theft.
However, he will only be committed to jail if he fails to comply with the conditions set out by the court.
In passing the sentence, Magistrate ’Mapitso Rantja ordered the accused to rebuild the complainant’s house within six months, or alternatively pay M15 000 in compensation. Failure to comply will result in the activation of a 15-year custodial sentence.
Ramakhula was further directed to reimburse the plaintiff for the destroyed and stolen property within six months or serve an additional 10-year prison term. The sentences will run concurrently.
Ramakhula was convicted this week for setting alight his neighbour Sengoli Leleka’s house in 2016 using petrol.
The fire destroyed the dwelling and household property valued at approximately M30 000. Some items were completely burnt, while others were stolen after being salvaged from the blaze.
The court heard that on the night of the incident, Mr Leleka was at a local bar at around 9pm when he received a message informing him that his house was on fire. Upon rushing home, he found villagers attempting, unsuccessfully, to extinguish the flames.
Among the items destroyed were a bed, wardrobe, clothes and electrical appliances. Other items including a microwave, eight plates and a 20-litre container were later recovered after being found in the accused’s possession. The recovered property was taken to Pitseng Police Station and kept as court exhibits.
Mr Leleka told the court that Ramakhula had confessed at the chief’s office to torching the house and stealing the property. The accused further alleged that he had been influenced by another neighbour, Mamocha Mabekebeke, to commit the offence — an allegation she has denied.
The complainant approached the court after the accused failed to honour a promise made in 2017 to rebuild the house. Although Ramakhula had started constructing a replacement mud rondavel, the court heard that he had failed to complete it over the past eight years. As a result, Mr Leleka’s family has been forced to live separately in different places.
Mr Leleka expressed frustration that the accused had managed to build his own two-roomed house while failing to complete the complainant’s. He described the unfinished structure as substandard and resembling a herdsman’s shelter.
In mitigation, Ramakhula pleaded for leniency, telling the court that he was remorseful and relied on piece jobs as a bricklayer and farm labourer for income.
“I plead with the court not to send me to prison but to allow me to complete the house within one year and reimburse Mr Leleka. I was influenced by another villager to burn the house,” he said.
However, Magistrate Rantja said the court could not ignore the seriousness of the offences and the prolonged hardship suffered by the complainant.
“I give you only six months to do what you promised eight years ago — from March to August. Failing which, I will unfreeze the sentences you have received. You will go to jail,” the magistrate warned.
Meanwhile, in a separate arson matter in Botha-Bothe, ’Matšepang Sekhantši is expected to appear before the magistrate’s court next Tuesday, accused of setting her family home alight following a dispute with her husband over money on 12 February 2026.
