Man who murdered 6-year-old 'hero boy' sentenced

Tefelo Dikole‚ who murdered six-year-old Kutlwano Garesape as he tried to defend his mother from being raped‚ was emotionless as he was handed a life sentence in the Northern Cape High Court‚ police said on Thursday.

"Tefo appeared to be very oblivious in court‚ seemed not to be aware of what was happening around his world; he seemed to be in the world of his own‚" said Captain Olebogeng Tawana.

The 31-year-old was sentenced in the Northern Cape High Court on Wednesday. He was handed a further seven years for attempting to rape Kutlwano's mother. The sentences would run concurrently.

“Kutlwano was dubbed a ‘Hero Boy’ for dying in defence of his mother‚" said Tawana.

“The reason [was] that on the day in which he was murdered‚ he took upon himself to defend his own mother when Tefelo attempted to rape her. Kutlwano put his life on line in defence of his mother‚ to prevent the accused from raping her‚” he added.

Kutlwano and his mother were walking near a railway line in August 2016 when Dikole suddenly accosted them. A struggled ensued as he tried to force himself onto her in front of her son.

In his attempt to save his mother‚ Kutlwano confronted Dikole who threw him in the air‚ leaving his tiny body to hit the ground. He also stabbed him in the stomach.

Tawana said the post mortem report detailed the gruesome injuries suffered by the six-year-old.

The report stated that: "Kutlwano’s intestines were exposed‚ protruded externally as a result of stab wounds [and he] suffered multiple stab wounds."

At the time‚ Kutlwano was just six-years-old.

He would have celebrated his eighth birthday on Monday‚ June 5.

Commenting on the sentence‚ Northern Cape acting provincial commissioner Major General Koliswa Otola said: “This harsh and hefty jail term brings and restore hope to victims of crime to continue to believe in the justice system of this country.”