Pretoria – The high court in Pretoria on Thursday sentenced 35-year-old Jim Dipugiso Phago to life imprisonment for the 2018 murder of his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend, Mosidi Kopanye.
“This follows Phago’s conviction for killing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend, Mosidi Kopanye. Phago, commonly known as Gregory, murdered his ex-girlfriend on 25 May 2018.
“The deceased had ended their relationship but on that fateful (day) Phago fetched her from work at the Temba Magistrate’s Court where she worked as an administration clerk,” said North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the director of public prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana.
“He (Phago) drove to a secluded area near the Wallmansthal army camp, where he slit her throat several times.
“’The body was found by police later the same day. Phago was arrested when he returned to the crime scene with a friend.”
He pleaded guilty to a charge of murder but denied that it was planned or pre-meditated.
“The State led the evidence of several witnesses and the accused was convicted of pre-meditated murder. The State argued that the fact it was a planned murder was aggravating and the accused did not show remorse.
“The murder had a severely detrimental effect on the family and two minor children of the deceased,” said Mahanjana.
“Judge Masopa said that the rate of femicide (in South Africa) is high and he found no substantial and compelling circumstances to impose a lesser sentence.
“Prosecutor Advocate Gerhard Maritz is satisfied that the accused was convicted of planned murder and that the sentence will send a strong message to people thinking of committing similar crimes.”
African News Agency (ANA)