Lesiba Machabaphala, a former SAPS member, has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the murder of his fellow tenant's 16-year-old daughter in October 2020. Machabaphala (29) was at the time working for the Police Protection Unit in Polokwane and stayed in Seshego Zone 1 outside Polokwane in Limpopo. It is alleged that before Machabaphala shot Alicia Mohlaloga (16) he accused her mother of witchcraft.

 WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS

According to a tenant Shadrack Mathebula, Machabaphala had been out drinking when he came back to find his rented room leaking after heavy rains. The tenant said the former cop got angry and started accusing Alicia's mother of witchcraft. "Mathebula said when he got to Machabaphala's room he didn't see any sign of witchcraft but a leaking roof. "He was very drunk as he was drinking the whole day with his brother-in-law." he added. 

THE SHOOTING 

Mathebula added that the former cop requested him to take him, his wife and child to his brother's house in Luthuli Park because his rented room was being messed up by the water. Soon after that, Mathebula said Alicia's mother returned from work greeted everyone including Machabaphala as they were chilling outside the rooms, and she asked him about a curtain in another vacant room which was misplaced. "He was bothered by the question and kept complaining about why she would ask him that," Mathebula said.

"As we were loading some of their belongings in my bakkie he went inside the rooms and a lot of gunshots were fired. And there were screams. Unfortunately, one of those bullets hit the child on her upper body. I rushed there but he insisted that I take him to his brother's house, or he will drive my car in that state. I took them there and on the way, he kept saying he was going to be arrested for a long time. That's when I knew that he was the one who fired a shot towards his neighbour's room, I initially thought it was thugs." he said.

NOT GUILTY

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said Machabaphala pleaded not guilty during the trial. The court heard that 14 shots were fired at the door where the girl and her mother were sleeping. The door leading to the teen's room was damaged and one of the bullets struck her. "The court also heard how Machabaphala refused for the teen to be taken to hospital by a fellow tenant but instead he demanded to be taken to his brother-in-law's house.

SENTENCING

Machabaphala was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder, one year for malicious damage to property, five years for attempted murder, two years for failure to lock away his firearm and another five years behind bars for defeating the ends of justice. The sentences will run concurrently. Director of Public Prosecutions Ivy Thenga said the NPA welcomed the sentences. "We hope this will send a strong message that no one is above the law," advocate Thenga said.