Conwell Mongezi Chauke, a 34-year-old Pretoria man, was sentenced to life in jail for the atrocious m_rder of 11-year-old Khothatso Welhelmina Tshabalala.
The circumstances leading up to the crime are disturbing. Chauke, who was part of the same prayer group as Khothatso’s mother, was pursuing a s3xual relationship with her, but she rebuffed his advances. On December 29, 2020, Chauke’s infatuation turned dark.
He called Khothatso’s mother while she was at work, thre@tening her for not meeting with him the day before. Later that day, Chauke visited Khothatso’s home in Mamelodi East, where he discovered her playing with her younger sister and a neighbor’s child.
Chauke persuaded Khothatso inside her home while pretending to retrieve his possessions.
The court found Chauke guilty of kidn@pping and m_rder, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with an additional six years for kidn@pping.
The judge declared Chauke unfit to possess a firearm and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, hoping it would send a strong message that vi0lent crimes against women and children will not be tolerated.
This tragic case highlights the devastating consequences of obsession and rejection.
The victim’s family, particularly her mother and younger sister, will have to live with the trauma of this event for the rest of their lives.
As the court recognised, Chauke’s actions were a gross violation of Khothatso’s constitutional right to life, and his sentence reflects the severity of his crimes
