Limpopo police sergeant sentenced to life in jail for shooting ex-girlfriend

A Limpopo policeman has been sentenced to life imprisonment after shooting his former girlfriend six times at close range after she rejected his proposal to reconcile.

Sgt Makgwadi Alfred Malemela, 41, was sentenced in the Mankweng regional court on Thursday after the shooting of Victoria Ramaphoko, 38, two years ago.

According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Malemela went to Ramaphoko’s workplace at the Mankweng magistrate’s court on September 27 2024 at about 4.30pm.

Malemela approached Ramaphoko and proposed that they get back together. After she refused, he took out his service firearm and shot her six times at close range.

At the time of the shooting, Malemela had a domestic violence protection order against him which prohibited contact with Ramaphoko.

Ipid welcomed the sentence, saying it demonstrated the seriousness with which such cases are treated.

In addition to the life sentence, the court sentenced Malemela to a further two years’ imprisonment for contravening the protection order.