Komani – A 38-year-old Lesotho national has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the brutal murders of two men at a farm in Komani, Eastern Cape, with additional prison time imposed for contravening South Africa’s immigration laws.
The Komani Regional Court handed down the sentence to Mokoena Selebalo on Tuesday, 27 May 2026, after convicting him of the 2025 murders of Tsoanamatsie Lehlohonolo and Khwezi Sishuba.
Selebalo was also found guilty of entering and remaining in South Africa without valid documentation.
According to evidence presented in court, Selebalo attacked 39-year-old Lehlohonolo with an axe at a farm in Komani on 13 May 2025. Lehlohonolo’s body was discovered the following day by his girlfriend. Both men had been employed on the same farm.
Police investigations later linked Selebalo to the murder of 73-year-old Khwezi Sishuba, the co-owner of the farm where the two men worked.
#sapsEC [LESOTHO NATIONAL HANDED TWO LIFE SENTENCES FOR DOUBLE MURDER]
The Komani Regional Court sentenced Mokoena Selebalo (38) to two life imprisonment terms on 27/05 for the murders of two victims in Komani in 2025.
Selebalo was also sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for… pic.twitter.com/Gqy3JNGo5c
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) May 29, 2026
Following the killings, Selebalo disappeared and was later tracked down during an intensive investigation. Police eventually located and arrested him in the mountains near the farm on Monday, 26 May 2025.
The State relied heavily on forensic evidence during the trial, which positively linked Selebalo to both murders.
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment for each murder. In addition, he received two years’ imprisonment for entering South Africa without a valid permit and a further two years for unlawfully remaining in the country.
All sentences will run concurrently.
The court also declared Selebalo unfit to possess a firearm.
Chris Hani District Commissioner Major General Rudolph Adolph welcomed the sentencing and praised the investigators involved in the case.
“Those who commit such heinous crimes deserve hefty sentences,” said Adolph, who also commended the crime scene experts and investigating officer for their work.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
