The five men found guilty of murdering a police officer and a civilian, as well as motor vehicle theft in Qwaqwa, have received hefty sentences for their action. The Harrismith Regional Court imposed sentences ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment on Friday (24/02).
The lengthy sentences are the culmination of an in-depth investigation by different police units dealing with serious organised crime. They include the Tactical Response Team (TRT), Crime Intelligence (CI) and Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Bethlehem.
The harsh sentences pertain to shooting and killing Sgt Koos Mokoena and civilian Andile Ranyane on 2 August in 2019 in Phuthaditjhaba. The slain officer was attached to Crime Intelligence in the Free State.
The accused include Lesotho and South African citizens.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson of the Hawks, said the victims’ bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds near the Basotho Cultural Village, a heritage site outside Phuthaditjhaba. He said the motive for the gruesome killing could be motor vehicle theft, a state bakkie the officer used. Singo said the vehicle was recovered in Lesotho while the state laptop and a cell phone that were kept within the vehicle, were not recovered from the murderers.
The life imprisonment sentences on counts of murder were assigned to South Africans, Patrick Tumelo Raletjoe (31), Teboho Mokoena (28), and Lesotho nationals Koenehelo Setoromo (36) and Teboho Semano Monyane (33). Enoch Rasunyane (South African) was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for murder and ten years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. For the robbery with aggravating circumstances charge, his co-accused received 15 years’ imprisonment each.
Mokoena was slapped with an additional 12 months imprisonment sentence for escaping from custody while on trial for double murder and robbery.
Singo said the accused were arrested at different places, adding that the three South African citizens reside in Phuthaditjhaba.
