The Viljoenskroon Regional Court has sentenced 23-year-old Thabiso Motaung to an effective 25 years’ direct imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his mother and the attempted murder of his grandmother, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Friday.
Sequence of the offences
According to the NPA, the first incident took place in February 2021, when Motaung was 17. Following an argument with his mother he armed himself with a knife and stabbed her once in the chest. She died at the scene.
"Following an argument with his mother, he armed himself with a knife and stabbed her once in the heart. She succumbed to her injuries at the scene," the NPA said.
The NPA said the accused pleaded guilty to murder and received a 10-year prison sentence for that offence. Because he was a minor at the time, prescribed minimum sentencing provisions did not apply.
The second attack occurred two years later in February 2023. By then Motaung was 20. During a confrontation with his grandmother he again produced a knife and stabbed her in the neck. The woman sustained a life-threatening injury but was rushed to hospital and survived.
"The second incident occurred in February 2023, when Motaung was 20 years old. During an argument with his grandmother, he again armed himself with a knife and stabbed her in the neck. She sustained a life-threatening injury and was rushed to hospital, where she survived," the NPA said.
Sentencing and legal notes
The court imposed a 25-year sentence for the attempted murder. The earlier 10-year jail term for the 2021 murder was ordered to run concurrently with the 25-year sentence for attempted murder, producing an effective custodial term of 25 years.
The State in the matter was represented by District Court prosecutor Tumelo Sebogodi, who is currently undergoing training at regional court level, the NPA noted.
| Offence | Year | Age at time | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder (mother) | 2021 | 17 | 10 years (concurrent) |
| Attempted murder (grandmother) | 2023 | 20 | 25 years (effective) |
Context and implications
The case underlines two issues frequently raised in court reporting: youth offending and family violence. The first offence occurred when the accused was still a minor, which meant mandatory minimum sentences were not applied. The second offence, committed as an adult, attracted a substantially longer sentence.
The NPA welcomed the final sentence and commended the prosecution for holding the accused accountable for violent crimes against close family members. The matter also reflects the resource and training pathways for prosecutors: the State was represented by a district-level prosecutor who was, at the time, training at regional court level.
Practical information for the community
- Cases involving family violence are handled by the NPA in partnership with the SAPS; members of the public can report incidents at their local police station.
- Victims of domestic violence who need medical care or shelter should contact local clinics, social development offices or designated shelters in the Free State.
- The courts consider age at the time of the offence when applying sentencing provisions, including mandatory minimums.
Further procedural details, including whether there was a sentencing hearing with victim impact statements, were not disclosed in the NPA statement. The office said only that the accused was convicted on two counts after pleading guilty to both charges.
The conviction and sentence are a reminder to the Free State public of the legal consequences of serious violence within households and the role of the criminal justice system in responding to those crimes.
