- A 45-year-old Mpumalanga man received life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend, Pretty Fikile Mokone, after a violent assault.
- Evidence showed a history of abuse, severe injuries and an attempt to hide the body before reporting the death.
- Judge LD Vukeya ruled there were no compelling reasons to reduce the life sentence and stressed courts must deter gender based violence.
The life sentence handed to Sibusiso Lucky Mahlalela closes a painful chapter for the family of Pretty Fikile Mokone, whose death has become another stark reminder of the country’s ongoing femicide crisis.
Mahlalela, 45, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for killing Mokone after a violent assault that followed an argument in the early hours of 11 August 2024 in Sinqobile Village near Barberton.
The High Court in Mpumalanga heard that what began as a domestic dispute escalated into a sustained and brutal attack that ultimately cost Mokone her life.
According to Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga, the couple had been returning home from a tavern when a phone call from an unknown person triggered a heated confrontation. “Mahlalela struck Mokone multiple times with a wooden plank,” Nyuswa told the court. Despite the assault, the pair went home.
The following morning, as Mokone’s condition worsened, she requested to be taken to a clinic. While on their way to the clinic, Mokone requested water, which Mahlalela went to fetch. Upon his return, he found her unresponsive on the ground, Nyuswa said.
What followed disturbed the court further. Nyuswa added that Mahlalela hid Mokone’s body in nearby bushes for an entire day before reporting the matter to the police the next morning.
History of abuse laid bare
Although Mahlalela pleaded not guilty and claimed he had no intention to kill, the State’s case, led by Advocate Senzo Zindela, painted a darker picture of the relationship. The deceased’s stepdaughter testified about a pattern of ongoing physical abuse, describing a home environment marked by fear and repeated violence.
Prosecutors also relied on photographic exhibits, crime scene evidence, and a post-mortem report confirming that Mokone died from multiple traumatic injuries. Victim impact statements presented to the court detailed the emotional devastation suffered by Mokone’s mother and children, who now face life without her.
No mercy from the court
During sentencing, Judge LD Vukeya spoke firmly about the broader crisis of gender based violence in South Africa. “Domestic violence in South Africa has reached the level of a state of emergency,” Judge Vukeya said.
She added that the courts have a duty to protect vulnerable people and send a strong message to offenders. “Society relies on the courts to impose sentences that send a strong deterrent message,” Judge Vukeya said.
The court found no substantial or compelling circumstances that justified deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. Mahlalela’s application for leave to appeal was dismissed. In addition to the life term, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the outcome, saying it remains committed to prioritising cases involving vulnerable victims and ensuring perpetrators of femicide are held fully accountable.
Nyuswa reiterated that commitment, saying the authority would continue pursuing justice to the fullest extent of the law.
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