Klerksdorp Midweek, Stilfontein - A foreigner who murdered his 29-year-old Khuma girlfriend in an act of domestic violence, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars. The Stilfontein Regional Court sentenced Aaron Mateta (23), a Lesotho national, last week for killing his girlfriend, Mpho Gift Mphatsoe, on October 12, 2024. Matete was sentenced to 20 years direct imprisonment for murder and an additional 12 months for contravening immigration laws. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Matete and Mphatsoe lived together in Khuma. According to Sivenathi Gunya, communications officer for the NPA, evidence presented in court revealed that Matete assaulted the deceased with a beer bottle, striking her in the face.
As the violence escalated, he repeatedly stabbed her on the head and neck with a knife, resulting in her death. “After the brutal attack, he left the deceased’s body in the house overnight and only reported the incident to her mother the following morning. Police were called to the scene, where they found her body with multiple stab wounds laying in a pool of blood. Matete was arrested shortly thereafter and remained in custody throughout the trial.
Despite pleading not guilty, he was convicted based on compelling evidence led by the prosecution.’’
In aggravation of sentence, State Prosecutor Chris Kok urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, citing the alarming rise in murder cases.
He also noted that Khuma is among the communities grappling with high levels of gender-based violence, with some of the perpetrators being foreign nationals, including those from Lesotho.
Welcoming the sentence, Dr Rachel Makhari, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, commended the prosecutor, investigating officer, and all role-players involved in ensuring justice was served. She expressed hope that the judgment would serve as a deterrent against gender-based violence in South Africa.
