A 41-year-old man from Taung, North West, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday after stabbing his pregnant wife to death with a sheep shear.
The incident took place on 9 October 2022 in the Kolong settlement near Taung.
Thapelo Edwin Mojaki killed his wife, Matshidiso Catherine Mojaki (36), in the Kolong settlement near Taung on 9 October last year.
According to Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Matshidiso went to the taxi stand with the couple’s two children, aged 16 and 18 respectively. She was waiting for a taxi to take her to work.
Mojaki arrived at the stand and asked Matshidiso for money.
“When she said that she had no money, Mojaki took out a sheep shears and repeatedly stabbed his wife with it. The children saw the incident unfold in front of them,” confirms Mamothame.
Matshidiso was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Mojaki was arrested and appeared in court the next day where his bail application was turned down.”
To aggravate Mojaki’s sentence, the public prosecutor, adv. Tecia Khula, asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence because there are no compelling circumstances.
She also pointed to the trauma the children experienced when they witnessed the murder.
Magistrate Buti Zulu agreed with the state’s statements and argued that the accused has a responsibility to protect his family and not be a perpetrator of crime towards them.
