Murderer Mohammed Raman, who killed his intimate partner in front of her six-year-old child, has been jailed for life after sentencing in the Hopetown Regional Court this week.

Raman, a 34-year-old foreign national, murdered his 30-year-old partner in Hopetown, Northern Cape, after she expressed her intention to break up with him, and then attempted to flee from the consequences of his heinous act.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said they welcomed the sentence. 

Senokoatsane said the deceased told Raman on January 18, 2024, that she wanted to break up with him, which led to an altercation. 

“The victim informed Raman that she no longer wished to continue their relationship. This led to an argument, which was initially diffused by the victim’s sister. However, after she left, neighbours heard renewed fighting.

“During the incident, the victim’s six-year-old daughter witnessed her mother being strangled to death by Raman. He then locked the child inside the house with her mother’s lifeless body before fleeing,” said Senokoatsane.

The little girl tragically spent the night lying next to her mother’s lifeless body.

“Raman was later apprehended by a vigilant member of the public, who became suspicious after giving him a lift from Kimberley. Sensing something was wrong, the citizen drove him to the Christiana police station, where he was arrested,” said Senokoatsane.

Raman remained in custody throughout the trial after his bail was denied.

This week, the Hopetown Regional Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder and an additional three months’ imprisonment for contravening immigration laws, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control Act.

Senokoatsane stated: “In aggravation of sentence, Prosecutor Nicola van Niekerk argued for the maximum penalty, emphasising that femicide is a pervasive crime in South Africa and that courts must send a strong message that such violence will not be tolerated. The court also considered a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Dineo Speak, which highlighted the devastating consequences of Raman’s actions on the child and family.”

Senokoatsane said the NPA commended the vigilance of the community member, whose swift action led to Raman’s arrest.

The NPA reiterated its commitment to fighting gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), prosecuting hundreds of such matters daily to ensure justice for victims and the safety of communities.

According to a research brief conducted by the Gender and Health Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council, it noted: “Femicide is the most extreme form of gender-based violence (GBV) and South Africa has the highest rates of femicide in the world. Bemoaning another femicide is the new normal in the country, yet in our outrage, we must not lose sight of the fact that femicide is preventable.”

The research brief showed findings of the 4th national femicide study, which coincided with the first year of the global pandemic (April 2020-March 2021).

“There was no difference in the estimated number of women murdered in 2017 (2,407) and in 2020/21 (2,409), which is nearly seven women a day in South Africa. We found 60% of the women killed in 2020/21 were killed by an intimate partner.

“We have a wealth of knowledge and increasing expertise to guide us to deliver evidence-based prevention. Our findings indicate that efforts towards prevention presently are not effective, and we need to intensify national, provincial, and local efforts. We have to work across sectors to address poverty and economic empowerment, childhood violence, unemployment, alcohol and drug use, and norms on gender and violence, improve mental health care, and strengthen the implementation of laws,” the brief noted. 

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

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