The high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday sentenced a man who killed his legal practitioner girlfriend in January 2020 to life behind bars.
Kabelo Gift Rasepae stabbed his girlfriend several times to death Olive Gobonwana Motsomi, who was a senior associate at a law firm in Johannesburg. Motsomi had been in a 10-year relationship with Rasepae when she was stabbed several times at her place of residence.
“Rasepae thereafter took her to Robinson Hospital in Randfontein, where he told the hospital staff that, he, together with Motsomi, were victims of a house robbery. He left Motsomi under the care of the hospital, alleging that he was rushing back home to attend to their children, that were left unattended when he rushed Motsomi to the hospital,” said Phindi Mjonondwane, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson.
Motsomi succumbed to her injuries later that day. “Rasepae was arrested by members of the Mogwase South African Police Service on 23 January 2020 whilst in possession of Motsomi’s vehicle in Rustenburg, following him fleeing to the North West province,” Mjonondwane said.
Mjonondwane said the case was assigned to Warrant Officer Coenrad who investigated the case meticulously after finding out that Rasepae was the first suspect, after information came out that the couple did not have children together and that the accused called the brother of the victim on Christmas in 2019 telling him that Motsomi ended their relationship and was seeing someone else.
In aggravation of sentence, senior State Advocate Patric Mkhari submitted a victim impact statement, authored by probation officer Thato Modise, which detailed how Motsomi’s mother had been traumatised and now relies on antidepressants as she struggles to accept that her daughter was killed in such a brutal manner.
The court found that Rasepae brutally killed Motsomi in her home and failed to present evidence to warrant deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.
