Ramogababane appeals 20 years imprisonment

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Wednesday July 14, 2010 00:00

Ramogababane was given a 20-year jail term for murdering his girlfriend Malebogo Selebo in Mogoditshane in November 2005. Ramogagabane is appealing the sentence on the grounds that it is too harsh and induces a sense of shock and hopelessness in him.

He also argued that the trial court failed to take into account certain mitigating factors. The appellant argued that the sentence should be reduced to a region of 15 to 17 years as well as take into consideration his circumstances.

However, his attorney Basimane Bogopa faces stiff resistance from a panel of three judges who argued that Ramogagabane should have been sent to the gallows for the crime. Justice Seth Twum argued that the judge found only one exceptional extenuating circumstance that saved Ramogagabane from the gallows and asked the attorney if he wanted them to overturn the 20-year sentence. In frustration, the attorney answered no.

Bogopa argued that his client was depressed because of a love affair that was not functioning. He said the girlfriend used to threaten the accused with finding another man if he did not provide for her.  He added that the girlfriend's insults made him feel inadequate and insecure.

'After a sleepless night, and in a state of emotional distress, he even considered taking his own life,' Bogopa told the court. He argued that the court should reduce the sentence to 10 years as happened in the similar case of Lebogang Mothudi vs The State; Mothudi murdered his girlfriend after a misunderstanding over a planned marriage that the girlfriend was no longer interested in.

But the judges were adamant that depression varies from case to case and should not be generalised to justify Ramogagabane's murder case. The judges said for the accused to have stabbed his girlfriend 18 times showed that he wanted to kill her.

According to the trial record, Ramogagabane had warned Selebo that he wanted to kill her before committing suicide. It is said that the two were churchmates at ZCC and Selebo had plans to go on a church journey with other members.

One of the state witnesses told the court that the deceased wished to buy refreshments at a nearby store when Ramoagagabane joined them.

The court heard that Ramogagabane locked the deceased inside a house and warned that he was going to do something bad before stabbing her with a knife in full view of one of the state witnesses. The lady screamed at him to unlock the door for her, which he did, and she ran for help outside. He was eventually arrested.