LESOTHO NATIONAL SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR FEMICIDE

The prosecution has secured a sentence of life imprisonment against Lesotho national, Seeiso Jaase (43), in the Engcobo Regional Court for the murder of his wife, which he attempted to disguise as an attack by criminals. Following the murder, Jaase fled to Lesotho but was apprehended two days later and repatriated to South Africa through the swift cooperation between the SAPS and the Lesotho police authorities.

Prosecutor Lindile Dwakaza led the evidence of a neighbour who resided in the same block of flats as the couple in Engcobo at the time the offence was committed on 02 April 2025. The witness testified that he heard the deceased screaming and went outside to investigate. He saw the accused exiting the flat and jumping over the body of the deceased, who was lying in the doorway in a pool of blood. At the time, the accused was shouting, “Tsotsis, tsotsis”, while fleeing the scene. The neighbour pursued him, but the accused outran him and disappeared into a nearby forest.

The accused, who pleaded not guilty, claimed that he and his wife had been attacked by criminals in their flat in the middle of the night. He testified that he had been struck with a hard object and lost consciousness and therefore could not explain how his wife sustained the multiple stab wounds that resulted in her death.

During cross-examination by Prosecutor Dwakaza, the accused was questioned about why he did not report the matter to the police. He responded that he did not know where the police station was located, despite having worked as a hawker in Engcobo for 12 years. When asked why he did not seek assistance from other tenants, he stated that it did not occur to him. He further claimed that he fled to Lesotho because he feared the alleged attackers would return and harm him.

The court rejected the accused’s version as highly improbable, including his assertion that one of the alleged assailants was involved in a secret affair with his wife.

Welcoming the sentence, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, said the sentence reaffirms the prosecution’s firm stance against gender-based violence and the abuse of vulnerable persons. The Acting DPP further commended the cooperation between the SAPS and the Lesotho police authorities as a model of effective cross-border law enforcement collaboration to ensure that perpetrators of crime face the full might of the law.

The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of such heinous crimes are held accountable and that victims receive justice.

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

NPA Regional Spokesperson – Eastern Cape Division