Crime
Thirty years behind bars for Free State man who killed partner and baby
A quiet settlement, a crime that shook a community
The news landed heavily in the Free State this week. A 27-year-old man who murdered his girlfriend and their baby son has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars, bringing a grim chapter to a close for a community that had lived with unanswered questions for more than a year.
Jonas Mokoena was sentenced in the Free State High Court, where the court heard how the deaths of Mpho Dhlamini, 41, and her one-year-old son, Omphile Innocent Mokoena, unfolded in disturbing detail. The sentence was handed down on Thursday, 5 February 2026.
How the truth came to light
The case dates back to January 16, 2025, when residents of an informal settlement in Qalabotjha raised the alarm about a foul smell coming from a shack. What police found was horrific. The bodies of the mother and child were buried in a shallow grave. Baby Omphile’s body had been placed inside a sports bag and laid on top of his mother.
Before the discovery, Mokoena had told their landlord that Mpho and the child were in Balfour, a claim that later unravelled under police scrutiny. When the bodies were found, he fled and went into hiding, sparking an urgent manhunt.
A swift arrest after a brutal crime
Detective Sergeant Ivy Maisa, attached to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Investigation unit and the Murder and Robbery Unit, led the investigation. Hours after the discovery, police tracked Mokoena down at a hiking spot on the road towards Balfour. Officers from Villiers SAPS arrested him on the spot.
The speed of the arrest was noted in court, as prosecutors laid out how evidence and witness accounts closed in on Mokoena quickly, despite his attempt to disappear.
A sentence that reflects the gravity of the crime
In handing down the 30-year sentence, the court underscored the severity of the crimes and the vulnerability of the victims. The murder of a partner and a defenceless child remains one of the most disturbing forms of violent crime in South Africa, often sparking renewed calls for tougher action against domestic violence.
On social media, reactions have ranged from relief that justice was served to anger that such brutality continues to surface in homes and communities across the country. Many commenters expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and questioned how warning signs are so often missed until it is too late.
More than one case, a wider problem
While this sentence brings legal closure, it also feeds into a broader national conversation. South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of domestic and family violence, with children frequently caught in the crossfire. Cases like this one are painful reminders that behind the headlines are ordinary people and neighbourhoods forever changed.
For Qalabotjha and Villiers, the hope is that the court’s decision offers some measure of justice, even as the loss of Mpho and Omphile leaves a lasting scar.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Moonstone Information Refinery
