The Free State High Court has sentenced Jonas Mokoena to 30 years’ imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend (41) and their one-year-old son.
The bodies of the victims were discovered last month in a shallow grave at an informal settlement in Qalabotjha, near Villiers, after residents reported a foul smell coming from their shack. The baby’s body was found inside a sports bag placed on top of his mother’s body.
Police spokesperson Josephine Rani said preliminary investigations revealed that Mokoena had been telling the landlord that his girlfriend and child were in Balfour, despite being seen at the shack around the time of their deaths. Following the discovery of the bodies, Mokoena went into hiding.
“The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Ivy Maisa from the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Investigation Murder and Robbery Unit, who conducted a thorough investigation and gathered sufficient evidence,” Rani said. Mokoena was arrested the same day by Villiers SAPS members at a hiking spot while allegedly attempting to travel to Balfour.
He was charged with two counts of murder, subsequently convicted, and sentenced on Thursday (02/05).
Compiled by Clement Matroos
