The Polokwane High Court in South Africa has handed down a life sentence to a 56-year-old man convicted of murdering his wife at her workplace. Molabe Fannie Seribishane, a resident of Ngwaname Newstand in Mafefe, was sentenced on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, for the killing of 52-year-old Mamsy Seribishane, a nurse who was fatally shot on 22 October 2024 while reporting for duty at Lebowakgomo Hospital.
Details of the Crime
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi revealed that evidence presented in court demonstrated that Seribishane had previously threatened his wife and violated a protection order granted in 2023. On the day of the murder, Seribishane arrived at Lebowakgomo Hospital armed with a semi-automatic firearm. He shot his wife and fled the scene in a white Volkswagen Golf 7. He was arrested on 13 November 2024, and police found him in possession of a firearm that had been reported stolen in Seshego earlier that year. Ballistic tests linked the weapon to the murder.
Court Proceedings
The court also heard that Seribishane had repeatedly threatened to burn down the family home. During sentencing, Senior State Advocate David Sebelebele argued that Seribishane acted with impunity and was angered by his wife's attempts to resolve marital disputes through legal channels. He submitted that the murder was premeditated and that no substantial and compelling circumstances warranted a lesser sentence than life imprisonment.
Judge Karin Leanee Pillay agreed with the State's arguments, describing the prosecution's case as watertight. She noted that the accused had shown no remorse and continued to blame others for the killing, despite a protection order having been issued against him before the offence. The judge stated, "The accused never showed remorse and continued to blame other people for the murder of his wife. He planned the murder and executed it."
Additional Sentences
In addition to life imprisonment for murder, Malabi confirmed that Seribishane received a six-year sentence for contravening the Domestic Violence Act, a 15-year sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm, and a six-year sentence for unlawful possession of ammunition. The court ordered that these additional sentences run concurrently with the life sentence. Seribishane was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
