A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a well-known Hennenman taxi owner, in a case that shocked the Phomolong community in the Free State.
The Hennenman Regional Court handed down the sentence to Pitso Mokebe, who was also given an additional 15 years’ imprisonment for housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The conviction follows the brutal killing of Johannes Thinane, 67, a respected taxi owner in the Phomolong community, at his home on the evening of 30 November 2020.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mokebe, who was known to the deceased and had previously lived at his home, gained unlawful entry with the intention of stealing money Thinane had saved to repair his taxi.
During the attack, Thinane was asleep in his bedroom alongside his 10-year-old grandson.
The child later testified in court that he woke to find Mokebe strangling his grandfather.
In a traumatic sequence of events, the child was removed from the scene by a 15-year-old cousin who had been threatened by the accused.
Mokebe then murdered Thinane and concealed his body inside the house.
The young boy managed to escape and alerted his mother, who lived on the same property.
When she arrived, Mokebe was still at the house and falsely claimed he was looking for his girlfriend before fleeing while the family searched for Thinane.
The victim’s body was later discovered behind a couch in the living room.
Following the murder, Mokebe reportedly sought refuge at a friend’s home, where he confessed to the crime and attempted to solicit assistance in exchange for payment.
The friend alerted police, leading to his arrest.
During sentencing, the state argued that Mokebe showed no remorse and subjected the victim’s family to a lengthy trial that began in September 2022.
The court also heard that he falsely implicated a minor in the murder, further traumatising the family.
Victim impact statements presented in court detailed the severe emotional and psychological toll the killing has had on Thinane’s relatives.
The court found no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify a lesser sentence and imposed the prescribed minimum penalties.