The Democratic Alliance Women’s Network welcomes the sentence handed down today by the South Gauteng High Court, which will see Sandile Mantsoe spend more than 30 years behind bars for the murder of Karabo Mokoena.
Karabo’s brutal murder highlights how vulnerable women remain today. On average, every eight hours a woman will die at the hands of her romantic partner in South Africa. Yet society continues to fail many of the victims and the criminal justice system remains ill-equipped to prevent and prosecute violence against women.
The DA supports stronger penalties against those who are convicted of violence against women and we therefore welcome the strong message sent by the South Gauteng High Court today that there is no place in society for men who abuse and murder women.
We urge courts to bring cases of this nature to a swift conclusion, so that the families of victims can receive the closure they deserve. Our thoughts are with Karabo’s loved ones today.