…as High Court judge sends clear warning to GBV perpetrators
Hopolang Mokhopi
THE High Court has sentenced former police officer, Jeremia Sekhoola, to 40 years’ imprisonment for the brutal murder of his partner, Matšepang Moleleki.
The case once again laid bare the deepening crisis of gender-based violence in the country.
Handing down the sentence, High Court Judge Tšeliso Mokoko expressed grave concern at what he described as an alarming rise in violence against women, warning that such crimes threaten the moral and social fabric of society.
“We are witnessing a disturbing increase in violence directed at women, often resulting in brutal and tragic deaths. Such acts are morally reprehensible and demand a firm judicial response,” Justice Mokoko said.
He stressed that the courts have a constitutional duty to protect women’s right to life and to impose harsh sentences on perpetrators of gender-based violence to send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.
Justice Mokoko said women were frequently targeted because of their vulnerability and that when the law fails to protect them, society as a whole suffers. He lamented that men, traditionally viewed as protectors, had increasingly become tormentors, describing this shift as unacceptable.
The judge further highlighted the devastating impact of such crimes on families, particularly children left behind without maternal care and guidance.
In sentencing Sekhoola, the court took into account that the crime arose from an intimate relationship that tragically degenerated into violence. Justice Mokoko said the deceased could never have imagined that her romantic partner, a police officer sworn to uphold the law, would turn against her so viciously.
The court also underscored the seriousness of the offence of murder, noting that by taking the life of the deceased, the accused caused irreparable harm to her family, community and society at large.
While acknowledging mitigating factors raised by the defence — including the accused’s alleged remorse, cooperation with police and guilty plea — Justice Mokoko ruled that the brutality of the crime and the need to protect society outweighed any leniency.
“The sentence imposed must reflect the gravity of the offence and serve as a deterrent against gender-based violence,” he said, before sentencing Sekhoola to 40 years behind bars.
Sekhoola was convicted on Monday after the High Court found that he had deliberately and unlawfully killed Moleleki on or about 17 February 2025 at Ha Motjoka in Berea district.
In his judgment, Justice Mokoko detailed how the deceased had attempted to end the relationship, a decision Sekhoola refused to accept. Evidence showed that he persistently threatened her with death, prompting Moleleki to seek police intervention because she feared for her life — a fact the court described as particularly troubling given that Sekhoola himself was a police officer at the time.
The court heard that Moleleki had gone to the Berea police station, where officers advised her not to comply with Sekhoola’s demands that she return gifts he had given her. Although she later complied under police supervision, Sekhoola followed her after she left the station.
A key eyewitness testified that Sekhoola slapped Moleleki, tripped her and then stabbed her repeatedly. The court heard harrowing evidence that her throat was cut, resulting in partial decapitation, a finding confirmed by the post-mortem report. She sustained four stab wounds to the chest and died at the scene.
Judge Mokoko ruled that the killing was planned, noting that Sekhoola had previously made death threats and was armed with two knives at the time of the attack. The court rejected any suggestion that the killing was spontaneous.
“This court has the impression that you executed the deceased as if you were slaughtering an animal,” Justice Mokoko said in his verdict.
Following the conviction, defence lawyer Advocate Christopher Lephuthing urged the court to impose a sentence of between 10 and 15 years, arguing that Sekhoola had shown remorse by handing himself over to the police and admitting the crime. The court, however, found that such factors could not outweigh the extreme brutality of the offence and the accused’s abuse of his position as a law enforcement officer.
Justice Mokoko said justice in cases of that nature ought to be firm, guided by the rights of victims, society’s need for safety, and the high standards expected of those entrusted with upholding the law.
