The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the sentencing of 22-year-old Lerato Rapeu for murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Rapeu was sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sitting in Middelburg on Friday, 20 February 2026.
The court heard that on 7 September 2023, police responded to a house robbery and murder at Loding in the Vaalbank area. Upon arrival, officers discovered the lifeless body of 64-year-old Grace Sebothoma inside her home. She had sustained multiple stab wounds.
A murder case was opened, and a thorough investigation by the SAPS detectives led to Rapeu’s arrest. The State presented what was described as a watertight case, resulting in her conviction and sentencing.
On Count 1, Rapeu was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for murder. On Count 2, she received 10 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances. She was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
In a related development, a co-accused, 16-year-old Kgomotso Lisbeth Ledwaba, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced by the same court on 12 August 2024.
Major General Mkhwanazi commended both the investigation and prosecution teams, as well as the judiciary, for securing what he described as a well-deserved sentence.
“We hope that the sentence will serve as a deterrence that anyone who commits crime will face the consequences,” he said.
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