Mafeteng — The Mafeteng Magistrate Court has sentenced Mathandekile Kao 20 of Matelile Ha Khori and Nthabiseng Masiloane 30 of Matelile Ha Khori  to five years imprisonment or pay a fine of M10,000.00 for Assault with Intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm.

Half the sentence was suspended on conditions that the convicts do not commit the same offense within a period of five years.

According to the evidence led before court the convicts on June 20, 2026 intentionally, wrongfully and unlawfully assaulted Malekhula Lekhula of Ha Nthonyane (32).

It showed that the convicts were drinking beer together at one of the local shebeen where complainant approached a partner of the accused N0-1 to buy her maize meal as he knows that the complainant's husband does not support his children promising to offer him sex.

It stated that the complainant went to the home of one of the convict's partner and before sleeping both convicts were at the door knocking and the door was opened where they he found the parter unclothed under the bed of whom he ran away leaving the complainant with the convicts.

it stated tha both convicts held the complainant tied  assaulting her through beating, slapping and scratching her on the face with nails thus contravening section 31 (1) and (2) a read with section 26 and 109 pf Penal Code Act N0-6 of 2010.

In mitigation the convicts pleaded guilty to the charge asking court to give them linient punishment since they were influeced by anger tha the complainant has taken the partner of the accused no-1 hence hot spotting his friend to assault her.

Delivering the judgment Senior Resident Magistrate Nkuebe Ramabele informed the convicts that there were so many ways of solving the problem rather than assaulting the complainant.

He said the convicts have assaulted the complainant deliberately sharing the common purpose it is not anger as they mentioned hence the need to be punished, saying courts of law will remain as the voice of the voiceless.