Upington regional court convicted and sentenced Jan Human to 20 years of imprisonment for murder of his girlfriend, wholly suspended for five years
Police says gender-based violence and femicide continue to have a devastating impact on individuals, families and society as a whole, leaving victims and survivors with lifelong scares. Police spokesperson warrant officer Omphile Masegela says as part of the continuous effort to outroot GBVF in society, the police in the ZF Mgcawu district welcomed the recent conviction and sentencing handed down to Jan Human for the murder of his girlfriend. The court heard that on the 21st December 2025 the couple Jan “Loekie” Human, 38 years old, and his 34 year old deceased girlfriend Tasha Smith were drinking together in their shared room. Masegela says the couple was involved in an argument, resulting in the accused stabbing the deceased with a knife, and she succumbed to the stab wound on the scene. The regional court of Upington convicted and sentenced Jan Human to 20 years of imprisonment for murder of his girlfriend, wholly suspended for a period of five years. Masegela says the district commissioner of ZF Mgcawu, major general Monica Sebili, commended the sterling investigation by detective constable Chandre Mouton of Augrabies SAPS for the hefty sentence handed down, restoring confidence of the public in the justice system.
