Murder target hopes 40-year-jail term helps ex-husband repent

Dimpho Meswele is hoping that her 49-year-old ex-husband will repent while in prison after he killed her sister, Thato Meswele back in 2015.Murder convicts, Ernest Legwale, Meswele's ex-husband and a Zimbabwean man Hamadi Mkhuha, have both been sentenced to 40 years in jail for their role in the killing of Thato in Oodi about nine years ago. The Gaborone high court delivered its judgement last Friday.According to Dimpho, the 40 years will give her ex husband time to change and be a better person.“We all need to accept God, so this is the time for Legwale to assess his character and change,” Dimpho told The Midweek Sun.Legwale hired two Zimbabwean hitmen to assassinate Dimpho, but instead the two men killed Dimpho’s sister by mistake. It is said that at the time, Legwale and Dimpho were going through the process of divorce. When passing judgement, Judge Michael Leburu sentenced both murder convicts to a jail term of 40 years. Mkhuha was also given a 12-month imprisonment for being an illegal immigrant. His sentences will run concurrently. Leburu said the two men acted as conspirators in the killing of Thato, adding that Legwale’s belief in witchcraft has sufficiently reduced his moral blameworthiness, as opposed to his legal culpability.Leburu said although Legwale appeared to be an educated man who held a high position of an internal auditor, this fact alone does not detract from his belief, however misguided it may be. During final mitigation ahead of sentencing, Legwale pleaded leniency and said his acrimonious relationship with his ex-wife had affected him emotionally that he no longer has trust and faith in a marriage.A packed court was left in shock seeing Legwale shedding a tear when he said his divorce had affected him emotionally and that he will never cry again. Legwale pleaded with Justice Michael Leburu to exercise mercy when sentencing him, saying he has a lot of responsibilities such as taking care of his 79-year-old mother.The murder convict added that he also has five children to take care of, including a teenager. He stated that he was a first-time offender and pleaded with the court to spare him the death sentence. Representing the state,Prosecutor Merapelo Mokgosi questioned whether Legwale was not aware of the consequences of the crime he committed. Legwale denied that he ever hired Mkhuha or anyone to kill his ex-wife.

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Murder target hopes 40-year-jail term helps ex-husband repent