The family of Makoena Leshabane found some solace as her husband, Thabo Leshabane, was handed a double life sentence for her murder in the Limpopo high court. However, the real tragedy lies in the children of the couple, who now face the trauma of losing both parents to such a heinous crime.

Thabo Leshabane, aged 58, was convicted for not only killing his wife but also her business partner, Tebogo Mphuti. The horrific incident took place when the two women were shot in a Mercedes-Benz in a Limpopo industrial area on October 10, 2020, by hitmen hired by Leshabane.

The hitmen, Mbekezeli Ndodo Buthelezi, Emmanuel Thembelani Dlamini, and Bhekizenzo Sfiso Phiyose, were also sentenced to life imprisonment for their role in the murders. The men were paid a deposit of R5,000, with a total agreed amount of R60,000 for the killings.

Makoena and Thabo Leshabane had children from previous relationships and two children of their own, aged nine and eleven at the time of their mother’s tragic death, now left orphaned.