The Free State High Court, sitting at the Harrismith Magistrate’s Court, has handed down a life sentence to 51-year-old Dingaan Petrus Mbele for the brutal kidnapping, rape, and murder of 11-year-old Boitumelo Princess Ranyamatsane.
The court heard that the incident occurred on 29 December 2024, when Mbele, a resident of Phase 7 in Bohlokong, lured the child away under false pretences.
Mbele later admitted to committing the offences. He also confessed to transporting and abandoning Boitumelo’s body near a railway line following the attack.
The accused formally submitted a written confession to the court, in which he pleaded guilty to all charges and confirmed the allegations laid out against him. This led to his subsequent conviction and the imposition of a life term in prison.