Woman jailed for 9 years

Golebaone Sekobo (30) was on Tuesday sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment by the Broadhurst Magistrate Court after being convicted of grievous bodily harm inflicted on another woman in a dispute allegedly involving a man.

The incident occurred at a bar where Sekobo allegedly saw the complainant in the company of her boyfriend. She confronted the complainant and poured beer on her before launching a violent attack, during which she slapped

and punched the complainant repeatedly.

Passing sentence, Magistrate Gofaone Morweng said the seriousness of the offence and its impact on the community warranted a custodial sentence. Sekobo was 29 years old when he committed the offence.

Magistrate Morweng noted that Seboko pleaded guilty to the offence and expressed remorse for her actions. Sekobo is a single mother of two minor children and also supports her ailing mother, factors which were presented in mitigation.

The court heard that four days after the incident, the complainant sought medical attention and underwent surgery on her right eye.

A medical report presented as evidence revealed that the complainant lost the ability to see with the eye, suffered loss of mobility, and is now wheelchair-bound.

“This is a tragedy that could have been easily avoided, as pouring beer would have been sufficient,” Magistrate Morweng said.

The complainant, previously a street vendor has since lost her source of livelihood, and is now dependent on her parents for care and support.

The accused claimed she acted under the influence of evil spirits and witchcraft, alleging that she followed voices compelling her actions.

However, the court rejected this explanation, noting that Sekobo had an opportunity to exercise self-restraint after pouring beer on the complainant but instead chose to escalate the violence.

“The community would expect the accused to face the full force of the law, particularly where the complainant has become a burden not only to her family but also to the wider community,” Morweng said.

Although Sekobo is a first offender, the magistrate ruled that the offence was aggravated in nature due to the permanent injuries inflicted on the complainant.

“Having weighed all the factors before the court, the actions of the accused call for a deterrent sentence,” Magistrate Morweng said, sentencing Sekobo to nine years' imprisonment.