A Limpopo police sergeant has been handed a hefty life sentence after he shot his ex-girlfriend six times at close range when she refused to get back together with him.
Sergeant Makgwadi Alfred Malemela, 41, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mankweng Regional Court on Friday for the attempted murder of Victoria Ramaphoko, 38, in a case that has once again highlighted police-perpetrated gender-based violence.
The court heard that Malemela went to Ramaphoko’s workplace at the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on 27 September 2024 at around 16:30 and proposed reconciliation. When she refused, he pulled out his service firearm and fired six shots at her at point-blank range.
Ramaphoko survived the brutal attack.
The court also found that at the time of the shooting, Malemela was violating an active domestic violence protection order that barred him from any contact with Ramaphoko.
In addition to the life term for attempted murder, Magistrate imposed a further two years’ imprisonment for contravention of the protection order.
Malemela was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), which investigated the case, has welcomed the sentence, describing it as a strong message that abuse of power and gender-based violence by law enforcement officers will not be tolerated.
“IPID welcomes the life sentence imposed on a Limpopo Sergeant for the attempted murder of his ex-partner,” IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said in a statement.
The case is one of several involving police officers using state-issued weapons to attack intimate partners. Civil society groups have long called for stricter monitoring of officers with protection orders against them and for the immediate disarming of officers reported for domestic violence.
According to court records, Ramaphoko had obtained a protection order against Malemela prior to the incident after their relationship ended. Despite the order, he continued to contact her and ultimately tracked her to her workplace – a court building where she should have been safe.
The fact that the attack happened inside a magistrate’s court precinct, where Ramaphoko worked, has raised serious questions about how Malemela was able to enter the premises armed and confront her.
Prosecutors argued during trial that the attack was premeditated and showed clear intent to kill, as Malemela fired six shots at close range after being rejected. The defence’s plea for leniency was rejected, with the court finding no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence for attempted murder involving a firearm and a violation of a protection order.
Gender-based violence activists have welcomed the life sentence, saying it sets a precedent for holding police officers accountable when they become perpetrators.
The sentencing comes amid growing pressure on the South African Police Service to act decisively against officers implicated in domestic violence.
IPID has previously reported that a significant number of complaints against police relate to assault and domestic violence involving off-duty police.
IPID further said it will continue to ensure that cases of police criminality, especially gender-based violence, are thoroughly investigated and brought before the courts.
