Three separate court decisions across South Africa have resulted in a teenage murder suspect being denied bail, a man receiving life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend, and another offender sentenced to four life terms for a series of rapes, as authorities intensify efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide.

In Mpumalanga, the Nelspruit Magistrates’ Court denied bail to 19-year-old Katlego Mokoena, who is accused of murdering Lusanda Mathabela, also 19, in November last year.

Mokoena appeared alongside co-accused Lungelo Sithole, also 19, in connection with the killing, which allegedly took place at the victim’s home in Mataffin, outside Mbombela.

According to the State, the two accused allegedly hired an e-hailing driver to take them to the victim’s residence before entering the property by jumping over the wall.

Prosecutors told the court that the victim was later found dead in a bathroom, lying in a pool of blood after allegedly being stabbed multiple times.

Both accused applied for bail separately. Sithole’s bail application was dismissed last month, while Mokoena’s application was rejected by the same court on Monday.

In delivering judgment, the court cited the seriousness of the charge and the strong public interest generated within the community.

The magistrate ruled that releasing the accused on bail could disrupt public order and undermine peace and security in the area. The court also found that granting bail would erode public confidence in the criminal justice system.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling.

NPA Mpumalanga regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the prosecution team would work with investigators to finalise outstanding aspects of the case so that it can proceed to trial.

“The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide are held accountable,” she said.

Meanwhile, in KwaZulu-Natal, the Scottburgh Regional Court sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend in Mthwalume in July 2024.

The court heard that the accused and the victim were in a relationship and had a child together.

On the day of the incident, the accused allegedly saw the victim at a beach in the Hibberdene area with another man. Prosecutors said he confronted her and accused her of being involved in a romantic relationship with the man.

Later that day, the two encountered each other again at a local shebeen in Mthwalume. The accused confronted her once more before following her when she left the establishment.

Evidence presented in court showed that he assaulted the victim later that evening in the room they shared.

A neighbour later reported hearing the victim crying during the night. The following morning, the same neighbour went to check on her and found her lying on the bed with multiple injuries and blood inside the room.

Police were alerted, and the accused fled the area but handed himself over to authorities four days later.

During the trial, prosecutor Active Njakazi led testimony from the neighbour, police officers who attended the scene, the investigating officer and the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination.

In aggravation of sentence, the victim’s father told the court that the killing had devastated the family.

The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

In another case in the North West, the Molopo Regional Court handed down four life sentences plus an additional 20 years’ imprisonment to Thapelo Joseph Chukutshwane, 34, after he was convicted of five counts of rape and housebreaking with intent to rob.

The court heard that between 2013 and 2024, several women in and around Mafikeng were attacked by an unknown man who raped them and stole their belongings.

The victims ranged in age from 17 to 43.

In one incident, a 43-year-old woman was asleep when the attacker broke down her door before raping and robbing her.

Investigators eventually linked Chukutshwane to the crimes through DNA evidence, leading to his arrest in August 2025. He later pleaded guilty to all the charges.

The court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

North West Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Rachel Makhari welcomed the sentence, saying it sends a strong message that violent crimes against women will not be tolerated.