Life plus 100 years: Two men sentenced for fatal shooting, attempted murders

The North West High Court sitting at the Klerksdorp Regional Court has sentenced Moses Thamae, 45, and Chakale Lesenya, 35, to life imprisonment each for murder and a further 100 years each on six counts of attempted murder, three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.

According to NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame, Thamae and Lesenya on 25 December 2020 stormed into a house at Tshing, near Ventersdorp, wearing face masks and in possession of firearms.

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“They then ordered the occupants, who comprised three female siblings, their mother, a male companion and a 12-year-old daughter to one of the women, to lie down on the floor and subsequently demanded money. Two of the occupants remained seated on the couch,” said Mamothame.

“The two intruders took cellphones from all the occupants and subsequently fired shots in the house, and one of the women who was seated on the couch was fatally wounded during the shooting, while the male companion was also shot but survived the ordeal. The minor escaped with a scratch, while the elderly woman was unharmed.

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“While this incident was in progress, two of the boys who were identified to be sons of two of the women in the house, entered the yard with another male companion, and the intruders started shooting at them. They managed to escape unharmed.”

Thamae was arrested at his workplace in Germiston on 14 January 2021, while Lesenya handed himself to the police on 25 January 2021 after learning that police were looking for him.

They pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The two were denied bail and remained in custody for the duration of the trial.

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Thamae was identified as an ex-boyfriend of the deceased.

In aggravation of the sentence, the state prosecutor, Adv Kokeletso Phetlhu, urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.

He argued that this incident would be a painful reminder to the family on every Christmas day, as they lost a loved one and survived death.

Judge Samkelo Gura agreed with the state and remarked that the shooting of the deceased with more than 15 rounds of ammunition indicated the cruelty in which the offence was perpetrated.

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She further alluded to the trauma suffered by a minor, having to witness the gruesome killing of his mother.