Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for The Murder of his Partner

14 APRIL 2025

Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for The Murder of his Partner

Atamelang, South Africa- The Atamelang Regional Court has sentenced Itumeleng Gabonewe (42) to life imprisonment for the murder of his intimate partner and mother of his child, Manana Rosina Ditsebe (29). The conviction follows an incident that occurred on 28 April 2024 at Khunwana village. Evidence presented in court revealed that Gabonewe and Ditsebe were in a relationship, and they have a child together.

Ditsebe came from a nearby tavern in the company of her boyfriend. Upon arrival at the accused person’s place of residence, they were both heard by the accused’s cousin, who was in the same house, going into their bedroom. The couple had an altercation upon their arrival. The cousin heard a banging sound of a person being hit against the wall, and shortly after the sounds stopped, she heard the door of the bedroom being opened and heard footsteps of a person leaving the house. The cousin told the court that she was afraid of the accused, hence she did not intervene.

She stated further that she then went to the bedroom to go and see what had been happening inside the bedroom, and found the deceased badly injured with visible injuries to her face and body. The accused’s cousin then tried to awaken the deceased to no response, and she then went outside the house and called on their neighbours for assistance. Upon the neighbour’s arrival, the neighbour informed her that Ditsebe had passed on, and the police were then called. Subsequently, the deceased was declared dead by the EMRS personnel who were called to the scene by the police. The suspect, Itumeleng Gabonewe, was then traced and arrested by the police.

In court, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge of murder. During sentencing, State Prosecutor, Advocate Edward Manicus, in his argument, argued for life imprisonment to be imposed as there were insufficient grounds adduced by the defense for the court to deviate from the applicable and prescribed minimum sentence. The presiding officer, Magistrate Stephan Du Toit, agreed with the state and subsequently sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

Welcoming the sentence, Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, commended the investigative and prosecution teams for their dedication. The DPP reaffirmed the unwavering commitment by the NPA in fighting gender-based violence.

Issued by:

Sivenathi Gunya

Communications Officer

North West Division

National Prosecuting Authority

078 172 9367