LIMPOPO – A 41-year-old Limpopo police sergeant has been jailed for life for shooting his former girlfriend six times at close range after she refused to take him back, in an attack that violated an active domestic violence protection order.
Sergeant Makgwadi Alfred Malemela was sentenced by the Mankweng Regional Court on Thursday 17 September, for the attempted murder of 38-year-old Victoria Ramaphoko. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) welcomed the sentence.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Shuping said Malemela confronted Ramaphoko at her workplace, the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court, on 27 September 2024 at around 16:30, where he proposed that they get back together.
“She refused, and Malemela then took out his service firearm and shot at Ramaphoko six times at close range,” said Shuping. “At the time of the shooting incident, Malemela violated an active domestic violence protection order that barred him from contacting Ramaphoko.”
Abusive relationship
According to news reports, the court heard that Ramaphoko had sought a protection order against Malemela after their relationship ended three years before the shooting. The relationship was reportedly described in court as abusive and toxic, with Malemela allegedly making repeated threats to kill Ramaphoko. At the time, Malemela was stationed at Mankweng Police Station.
Heinous and gruesome
Presiding magistrate Marais described the attack as heinous and gruesome, noting that Malemela shot a defenceless woman six times with his service pistol, according to news reports.
“For count one, attempted murder, you are sentenced to life imprisonment. For count two, contravening a protection order, you are sentenced to two years. They run concurrently,” Marais reportedly said.
Firearm ban
In addition to the life sentence and two-year concurrent term for contravening the protection order, Malemela was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
According to news reports, Ramaphoko’s family, who had been attending court throughout the two-year trial, welcomed the outcome. A family member said they were happy that he finally received a life sentence and were grateful for all the support they had received.
