The Polokwane High Court on Wednesday sentenced a 33-year-old Pakistani national to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend Mohlale Precious Magabane, who was a schoolteacher and dismembering her body. Ashan Fraz Cheema also received two years for theft and five years for defeating the ends of justice.
The incident took place on 23 December 2018. Cheema and went to Magabane’s house and an argument ensued between the couple, during which Cheema assaulted and killed Magabane with a knife.
Cheema dismembered her body parts and put them in refuse bags. The bags were disposed in separate areas at Lydenburg mountain, along the R37, and her arms and head were buried in a shallow grave at Mashifane Park sports ground.
The DNA results proved that the body parts found belong to Magabane.
“The accused, Ashan Fraz Cheema, fired his legal representatives more than 7 times. He ended up representing himself during the trial,” Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson said on Thursday.
“During the trial, Raza Ali, a friend of the accused, was called as a state witness to testify. Ali told the court Cheema was communicating with him about his problems with the deceased. Later, on December 23, 2018, Cheema confessed to Ali that he killed the deceased using a knife,” Dzhangi said.
The Pakistan national who pled not guilty, was subsequently found guilty. During sentencing, judge president Ephraim Makgoba said the accused was convicted of a serious offence but showed no remorse. The accused was convicted of an offence which fell under gender-based violence which the judge described as a “big problem in this country”.
He said when handing down the sentence he had taken into account the personal circumstances of the accused, the nature of the offence, and the interest of society.