Limpopo court imposes 3 life sentences on petrol bomber

LIMPOPO – Bongani Abraham Boshomane (47) has been convicted on three counts of murder after an incident occurred in the early hours of 5 October 2018, in the Sekgakgapeng village in the Mahwelereng policing precinct outside Mokopane, where two children died after the house they were sleeping in was petrol bombed.

According to Police spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe, Kamogelo Kekana (5) died on the scene and her 2-year-old sister Sadie Kekana died on the way to hospital. “The grandfather of the two deceased, Hendrick Kekana (64), died in hospital after being admitted with serious burn wounds. The rest of the injured, including the mother of the two deceased, were taken to hospital for medical treatment.”

Read more: Two children killed in petrol bombed house outside Mokopane

Boshomane was traced to a local tavern in Mogoto village outside Zebediela by a special task team and WO Legodi was assigned to the case for further investigations. Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement that Boshomane was ultimately sentenced to three life imprisonment sentences by the Polokwane High Court on Tuesday, 17 March.

On the same day, 23-year-old Kgothatso David Thutlwa was sentenced to three life imprisonment sentences without the option of a fine by the Lephalale Regional Court. Thutlwa raped three victims, aged between 14 and 21, on separate occasions between 2015 and 2016 in the Witpoort policing precinct area. Mojapelo added that investigations revealed that Thutlwa threatened the victims with a knife before he raped them.

Serg Thulare, who is attached to the Lephalale Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, lead the investigations which helped to hunt down, arrest and link the three cases to Thutlwa.

The Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Nneke Ledwaba, as well as the police in Limpopo welcomed these sentences and commended the investigators for their hard work.