35-year-old mother Lerato Pokonyane, who murdered her three-month-old baby girl in January of 2022, will be imprisoned for 18 years for her brutal crime.
Her baby was found lifeless near the N12 Road between Stilfontein and Potchefstroom, with her hands and feet together, and plastic and bandage-like material covering her face.
Police on scene found a plastic bag with baby clothes and a hospital booklet said to be belonging to the child.
Arrest
She was arrested while attempting to flee the country through the Ficksburg Border Post.
Her arrest came after intensive investigations led by Detective Warrant Officer Tebogo Lawrence Tlhakanye, who tracked the Lesotho national in Kuruman.
The Stilfontein Regional Court also declared Pokonyane unsuitable to work with children in terms of Section 120 of the Children’s Act and unfit to possess a firearm.
Ryno Naidoo, the acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, said the police remain committed to prioritising the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide.
Crime statistics
Recent crime statistics offered little comfort to the violence plaguing the country.
Between January and March of this year, 5 181 people were murdered; that’s an average of around 58 people every day.
6 916 attempted murders took place, and 43 576 people were assaulted with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.
Though national murder rates decreased from the 2025 4th quarter, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, said, “a decrease in crime is not the same as achieving safety.”
“Our goal is not just fewer crimes, but that communities are and feel safe everywhere.”
