Stilfontein – A 35-year-old woman has been sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment by the Stilfontein Regional Court, North West province, for the murder of her three-month-old daughter.
According to the South African Police Service, Lerato Valencia Pokonyane was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children in terms of Section 120 of the Children’s Act.
The conviction relates to the discovery of the infant’s body near the N12 road between Stilfontein and Potchefstroom on 13 January 2022.
Police responding to reports of a lifeless baby found the child with her hands and feet bound with plastic and her face covered with material resembling a bandage.
A plastic bag containing baby clothes and the child’s hospital booklet was also recovered at the scene.
Emergency Medical Rescue Services declared the infant dead at the scene.
An investigation led by Detective Warrant Officer Tebogo Lawrence Tlhakanye led authorities to identify Pokonyane as a suspect. Police tracked her to Kuruman before arresting her while she was allegedly attempting to flee South Africa through the Ficksburg Border Post.
The court has since convicted and sentenced her for the murder of the child.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
