The Theunissen Regional Court has cracked the whip on the murder accused Terry Jabulani Ngomane (37), sentencing him to 25 years’ direct imprisonment on Wednesday, 21 May. He was found guilty of charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
This followed the gruesome attack of a retired police officer, Sabata Tsoai, on 13 May 2018. The deceased was 68 at the time. Ngomane was sentenced on the strength of evidence presented in court following a police probe. He attacked the deceased at his home in Theunissen.
“The victim was tied with cables, assaulted, and left for dead. His body was discovered the next day, and his home had been ransacked. A firearm and cellphone were stolen. A significant breakthrough came when the investigators traced the victim’s cellphone. The SIM card had been inserted into Ngomane’s phone the day after the incident.
Further investigation revealed that Ngomane’s phone had been active at both the victim’s residence and his own home on the night of the murder,” said Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) in the Free State.
“During questioning, Ngomane attempted to destroy evidence by swallowing a SIM card. Despite his efforts to conceal the truth, the prosecution secured a conviction based on strong circumstantial evidence,” he said.
Senokoatsane said the court sentenced the accused to 20 years’ imprisonment for murder and ten years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. “The court ordered that five years of the robbery sentence run concurrently with the murder sentence, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years behind bars,” he said.
Susan Meintjies, regional magistrate, presided over the sentencing proceeding. Senokoatsane said in delivering the sentence, Magistrate Meintjies considered a victim impact statement submitted by the deceased officer’s sister. “The statement, prepared with the assistance of the court preparation officer Nono Sebego, highlighted the emotional trauma and lasting impact of the crime on the victim’s family,” he said.
Senokoatsane said the prosecution team, led by Adv. Edwin Munyai and Itumeleng Maklein, commended the investigators’ for ensuring the accused is brought to book.
