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Roodepoort detective secures conviction for 2020 murder

After a lot of hard work from Botha and a challenge of community members' unwillingness to talk, Mabasso was convicted on October 24.

Roodepoort police station management has commended Sergeant Leandra Botha for securing a lengthy conviction of a suspect involved in the murder of a woman from Mhlangeni Squatter Camp two years ago.

According to Roodepoort Police Station’s Communication Officer, Captain Juanita Yorke, the suspect, Ramilio Paulo Mabasso who is a Mozambican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of culpable homicide by the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.

The 42-year-old suspect also got an additional six month in prison for the contravention of the immigration act.

Botha said that she started working on the case with no evidence available but managed to locate the suspect with the help of an informer.

Although the suspect admitted to assaulting the deceased, Botha had to dig a bit more in order to get a warrant of arrest.

During the court proceedings, it was heard that the cause of death was from a ruptured bowel.

Finally, after a lot of hard work from Botha and a challenge of community members’ unwillingness to talk, Mabasso was convicted on October 24.

“I am always happy to solve such cases, at the end of the day I managed to get justice for her even though she was no longer alive.

“Even though I started with nothing when I took over the case, it’s a good feeling to get a conviction and remove people who abuse women from society,” said Botha.

On December 12, 2020, police received a complaint of death on arrival at Leratong Hospital – on arrival a nurse who attended to the deceased explained that she received a patient who was no longer alive.

Brenda Mothobele was brought to the hospital by a neighbour after she was assaulted by Mabasso the previous day.

Reports indicated that while Mabaso and the deceased where drinking, they had an argument and the deceased was assaulted.

The nurse explained to the police that when she examined Mathobele, she found bruises and scratches on her left hand.

The deceased who was also a Mozambican national was taken to the Roodepoort Government Mortuary.

Sergeant Leandra Botha. Photo: Thabisile Mgwali.

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