The family of one of the two minors who were brutally murdered in separate incidents says it has now found closure after the killer gets two life sentences.
The Polokwane High Court in Limpopo on Tuesday sentenced Charles Moswathupa, 34, for the rape and murder of six-year-old Boitumelo Matsekoleng of Serageng village in Sekhukhune and the brutal murder of Samson Sithole, 3, whom he hit with a brick in 2018 at Koteng informal settlement in Marble Hall.
Little Boitumelo was found abandoned days after she went missing and was later taken to hospital where she died from her injuries, while Samson was reported missing and later found dead in the bushes.
Boitumelo's uncle Ntapane Matsekoleng said although the two life sentences meted out to Moswathupa will not bring her back, the family has found closure and will now focus on moving on with their lives.
"We are happy that the judge sent the killer behind bars for the rest of his life. He had no reason to rape and kill the poor child," he said.
Matsekoleng said the death of Boitumelo had affected her mother to a point where she moved in with family members.
Judge Ephraim Makgoba described Moswathupa as an evil person who is not fit to live in any community.
"You are an evil person who doesn't deserve to live in a society. You killed the two children while you are a father to six children from two different mothers," he said.
In his mitigation, Moswathupa asked the court to deviate from the prescribed sentence and give him 28 to 38 years in prison because he is not in good health as he is HIV positive.
However, Makgoba said he was lucky because he will receive treatment in jail at the expense of taxpayers' money when he has caused a huge pain to the country.
Moswathupa blamed alcohol for his actions.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Limpopo Mashudu Malabi-Nzhangi said
the accused had pleaded guilty, and the court found him guilty as charged.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Ivy Thenga, said:" We hope that this sentence will send a clear message to would-be offenders."
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