Kabelo Masoabi Sefale will serve one year of a 15-year sentence for culpable homicide and must compensate the victim's family.
A Leribe man, Kabelo Masoabi Sefale, has been sentenced to one year in prison for the culpable homicide of livestock herder Fihlang Nkopane. The High Court ordered Sefale to pay Nkopane's family M104,000 within one year of his release, in monthly installments of M8,600, and to provide two cows within one month. Nkopane, 24, was fatally shot on Christmas Day in 2020 at a cattle post in Ha Nkopa, Leribe.
The Crown prosecutor highlighted the use of a firearm and the nature of the injuries, noting two open wounds to the back, as aggravating factors that demonstrated a disregard for human life. The prosecution argued that the victim's young age and the lasting grief caused to his family warranted a significant sentence to deter similar acts and uphold public safety.
In mitigation, the defense emphasized Sefale's status as a first offender, his youth at 22 when the offense occurred, and his role as the sole breadwinner for his unemployed mother. The defense also pointed to Sefale's guilty plea as a sign of remorse and his willingness to pay compensation, including ten head of cattle.
Why it mattersA Leribe man will serve one year in prison and pay significant compensation for a fatal shooting, impacting his family and the victim's relatives.
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