BLOEMFONTEIN: The Bloemfontein Regional Court showed no mercy to Itumeleng Molaoa (27), sentencing him to 25 years’ direct imprisonment for the stabbing and robbing of a high school learner.
The court handed down the sentence on 11 July, after finding Molaoa guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The victim was an 18-year-old learner, targeted in Bloemfontein on 17 February last year. The court threw the book at the habitual robber Molaoa, considering his extensive criminal history, which includes housebreaking, theft and robbery.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Free State has welcomed the lengthy sentence imposed on Molaoa, who had previous convictions. Mojalefa Senokoatsane, provincial spokesperson for the NPA, said Molaoa had stabbed the victim with a knife during the robbery incident.
“When the learner resisted, a scuffle broke out. Then Molaoa drew a knife and stabbed the learner before fleeing with a cellphone,” he said.
Senokoatsane said the accused had brazenly robbed the victim in broad daylight, at around 15:00. The learner had been returning from school.
Alerted by the commotion, community members gave chase and apprehended Molaoa, and thereafter handed him over to the police.
Senokoatsane said during the trial, Prosecutor Palesa Molangoanyane presented evidence of Molaoa’s extensive criminal history. “He had three previous convictions for housebreaking with intent to steal and theft; one conviction for theft; and one conviction for robbery.
“At the time of the trial, Molaoa was already serving a seven-year prison sentence for a prior robbery conviction. While the minimum prescribed sentence for the current offence is 20 years, the court exercised its discretion to increase the sentence to 25 years, citing the accused’s persistent and escalating pattern of violent criminal behaviour.
“The prosecution submitted that the accused poses a danger to society, has shown no remorse, and is a habitual repeat offender. The NPA welcomes the sentence as a strong statement of the justice system’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society,” said Senokoatsane.
He said the court further ruled that the new sentence of 25 years would not run concurrently with the sentence he was already serving. This means Molaoa will spend 32 years in prison.
