27 Feb 2014

Serowe Magistrate Court has sentenced a 36-year-old woman, Oaitse Molanga to seven years imprisonment for unlawfully assaulting two people.

When passing sentence on February 24, Principal Magistrate Kgololesego Segabo said Molanga’s case was a serious one, adding that victims sustained serious injuries.

The court heard that Molanga assaulted Ms Sebongile Chubele with a bottle and fractured her left hand and went on to unlawfully hit the late Isaac Radipodi with a bottle above his left eye causing it to go blind.

Magistrate Segabo said after carefully looking at the circumstances of the case, it appeared that the accused person was a heavy drinker who was frequenting shebeens. He observed that jealousy and drunkenness had led Molanga to commit the offences.

“You have made an emotional plea to me but as officer of the court, I should not allow my emotions on this matter to get the better of me but instead I should dispense justice,” said Mr Segabo

“If you go to prison this will negatively have an effect on your children but look, you have a long history of past convictions,” he said when sentencing the accused person. The magistrate sentenced Molanga to seven years imprisonment in each count and ordered that they run concurrently.

In mitigation, Molanga pleaded with the court to be lenient on her as she was taking care of her two children and that their father was unemployed. She said that since she was a changed person, the court should give her a chance to be exemplary to the community.

Reading Molanga’s previous convictions, the magistrate said on May 30, 2000 at Tati Town Customary Court she was convicted on two counts of using insulting language and common assault and sentenced to one month imprisonment, wholly suspended for one year on condition that she would not be convicted of similar offence while on count two, she was fined P100 or two months imprisonment.

Still at Tati Customary Court, on April 02, 2003 she was convicted on an offence of neglect or ill treatment of children. She was fined P100 or three months imprisonment.

Still at the same customary court, on February 11, 2004, she was convicted for fighting and sentenced to three months imprisonment wholly suspended for one year. ENDS