Free State man gets life for murdering girlfriend after threatening to kill her husband
Not long after she moved out, Papi allegedly became abusive towards Nicolene and threatened to kill her and her husband.
In February 2024, Jan Mafa Papi Lebona was sentenced to life in prison by the Bloemfontein High Court. On the night of February 4th, police were summoned to a house in Grassland 1 after discovering the body of Nicolene van Rooi, a 34-year-old woman, inside a shack at the rear of the property. Emergency services and experts from the Local Criminal Record Centre arrived at the scene.
Police stated that Lebona, Nicolene's boyfriend, had been taken into custody by members of the community. The investigation was led by Warrant Officer Moeketsi Solomon Mokgobo, who later presented his findings in the Bloemfontein High Court. Nicolene's husband testified that their family had been content, with three children, until financial difficulties and domestic abuse from Nicolene drove them apart.
She eventually moved in with Lebona, but he allegedly continued to abuse her. On the day of her death, Lebona assaulted both Nicolene and her daughter. The daughter witnessed her mother being struck with open hands and clenched fists. The court subsequently found Lebona guilty of murder and handed down a life sentence.
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