Lesotho national gets life for brutal Komani farm murders
· Citizen
A 38-year-old Lesotho national has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal, premeditated murders of two men on a Komani farm in the Eastern Cape.
Selebalo Mokoena appeared before the Makhanda High Court, sitting as the Komani Circuit Court, on Wednesday, where the lengthy sentence was handed down.
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Mokoena was also convicted of entering and remaining in South Africa without valid documentation.
Trial
During the trial, the court heard that Mokoena and the first deceased, 44-year-old Tsolo Tsonamatsie, were employed as shepherds at Hayden Park Farm, while the second deceased, 74-year-old Khwezi Sishuba, was Tsonamatsie’s employer.
Mokoena harboured a grievance against both men following a dispute over payment for work performed and a prior altercation with Tsonamatsie.
Anger and revenge
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tiyali said, motivated by anger and revenge, Selebalo embarked on a violent course of conduct that culminated in the deaths of both victims.
“On 13 May 2025, Mokoena went to Tsonamatsie’s residence, where he found him intoxicated and asleep. He assaulted him with an axe or similar object, inflicting multiple skull fractures and severe brain injuries. Tsonamatsie died at the scene.”
Following this incident, Mokoena fled the farm but continued to threaten Sishuba. He damaged the victim’s vehicle by slashing its tyres and repeatedly threatened to burn down his home.
Second murder
Tiyali said Selebalo later attempted to carry out these threats by setting the residence alight.
“However, the fire was extinguished before significant damage occurred. Undeterred, Mokoena returned to the farm days later. On 25 May 2025, he confronted Sishuba, led him to a camp on the farm, and launched a further violent attack, repeatedly stabbing him in the chest and abdomen and inflicting additional injuries.
“Sishuba succumbed to his injuries at the scene. After the second murder, the accused fled to a neighbouring farm, where he sought refuge at his girlfriend’s residence. She alerted the police, leading to his arrest,” Tiyali said.
Evidence
State Advocate Thandiwe Kaleni presented extensive evidence, including post-mortem reports, crime scene photographs, DNA evidence linking the accused to the second murder, and victim impact statements from the bereaved families.
The State submitted that both murders were planned, brutal, and executed with extreme violence. It further argued that no substantial and compelling circumstances existed to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Sentence
Tiyali said the court accepted the State’s submissions and sentenced Mokoena to life imprisonment on each of the two murder counts.
“In addition, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for entering the Republic without a valid passport and two years’ imprisonment for remaining in the Republic unlawfully.
“The court ordered that the sentences relating to the immigration offences run concurrently with the life sentences, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment,” Tiyali said.
Warning
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, welcomed the sentence, stating that it reinforces the justice system’s firm stance against violent crime.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit violent crimes in our communities will face the full might of the law. The accused unlawfully entered and remained in South Africa before embarking on a calculated and brutal campaign of violence that claimed two lives.
“This outcome affirms the NPA’s commitment to securing justice for victims and holding offenders accountable,” he said.