Police in Lehurutshe are investigating cases of Murder and Inquest after Warrant Officer Sachs Tlhowe Mothowagae’s body was found inside a car at the gate of his sister’s place on 22 December 2013 at about 03:45 at Welbedacht Township near Zeerust. It is alleged that the warrant officer was shot through his mouth.
The warrant Officer was stationed at Mahikeng Organised Crime.
According to the information, the 53 year- old suspect went to his 42 year- old girlfriend’s house in the early hours of the date mentioned and found her asleep. According to the witness (girlfriend’s friend), who was also in the house, both the suspect and his girlfriend went outside. It is alleged that later, a passerby came to the girlfriend’s house and reported that the girlfriend was lying in a pool of blood outside her gate at Welbedacht Township. The deceased had a bullet wound on her right ear. Police were alerted.
Investigation led the police to the Warrant Officer’s sister’s place where they found him in a car and discovered that he was allegedly shot, but was still alive. He was transported to the nearest hospital where he later died. Police Investigation continues.
In a statement, the North West Provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo, has condemned the selfless killings, and has tasked the investigating team to ensure that a thorough investigation is done so that justice could be served.
A black police officer, Mokolo Molekoa, 30, stationed in a suburb of Johannesburg drove around in mostly white areas, offering women lifts in his BMW, after which he would rape them. In some cases he would gang rape them with accomplices.
Yesterday Molekoa was found guilty omn 35 of 46 charges, including the rape of 16 women and girls. These charges included nine of kidnapping, seven of robbery, two of attempted robbery and one of theft.
In at least one case, as previously reported, the victim was unable to walk after being gang raped by the black policeman and fellow accused Ephraim Mazwi, 29, and Maphuthi Molokomme, 27.
Molekoa’s crimes took place between March 2011 and June 2012. In his testimony, the police officer claimed that the women had indicated their consent by getting into his car or that they had otherwise had relationships with him.
However, Judge Peter Mabuse of the Johannesburg High Court rejected this evidence, saying “it was highly unlikely”. It was also “most unlikely that any man would leave his girlfriend in the middle of a field or point a firearm at her”. He described Molekoa’s evidence as “unsupported fabrications”.
Mabuse acquitted Molekoa on the ten charges of kidnapping and one of rape, as he felt the state had not proven beyond reasonable doubt that the women had been forced to enter the policeman’s BMW.
The case has been postponed until 22 January when reports on the state of the victims will be heard by the judge.
The Star newspaper in Johannesburg compiled the following list of rapes in what it describes as “Molekoa’s reign of terror”:
March 7, 2011
Olifantsfontein: His first victim, a 28-year-old, is raped after he forces her into his car and steals her cellphone.
March 28, 2011
Midrand: A second victim, 19, and her friend, 18, are kidnapped and robbed in Midrand, and gang-raped by Molekoa and his two accomplices near the Waterval cemetery in Kempton Park.
April 3, 2011
Midrand: A fourth victim, 27, is kidnapped and robbed, then taken to the Waterval Cemetery and raped.
May 23, 2011
Olifantsfontein: A 26-year-old woman is robbed and raped near Leisure Lakes.
June 6, 2011
Olifantsfontein: Another woman, 27,is robbed, kidnapped and raped in an open field near Leisure Lakes.
June 19, 2011
Tembisa: Two girl cousins, aged 18 and 14, are kidnapped and raped. The14-year-old was allegedly raped by Molekoa while the 18-year-old was raped by his accomplice.
July 28, 2011
Randburg: A woman is kidnapped, robbed and raped in Northriding.
August 27, 2011
Randburg: A 20-year-old is raped in bushes near Klipfontein View.
Sep 15, 2011
Bramley View: Another woman is kidnapped, robbed and raped.
October 16, 2011
Kempton Park: A 37-year-old woman is kidnapped, robbed and raped.
January 29, 2012
Kempton Park: A woman, 22, is kidnapped at gunpoint before being robbed and raped.
May 6, 2012
Tembisa and Kempton Park: A 20-year-old is kidnapped, robbed and raped. On the same day, another victim, aged 29, is also kidnapped and raped.
June 17, 2012
Olifantsfontein: A 19-year-old is kidnapped, robbed at gunpoint and raped near Leisure Lakes.
June 30, 2012
Randburg: An 18-year-old is kidnapped in Randburg and raped in Bryanston.
A North West policeman has allegedly raped a woman in Sannieshof, police said on Friday.
Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the detective constable allegedly raped the 29-year-old woman on Thursday.
The woman came was in Sannieshof to attend the court case of her boyfriend, who faced charges of housebreaking.
“It is alleged… the victim sent the investigating officer a text message that she wanted to speak to him in connection with the case,” he said.
“When she met with the… officer in Sannieshof, it is alleged that the officer misled her into believing he was going to assist her with the case of her Tanzanian boyfriend.”
Ngubane said the officer took the woman to his grandmother’s house and allegedly raped her three times.
“The official has not been arrested yet as he is still at large.”
It was also alleged that the officer asked the woman for money to assist her in the case.
Ngubane said the matter had been reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
“Once the member is arrested and charged he will be suspended immediately without pay, once all has been verified.”
North West police commissioner Lt-Gen Zukiswa Mbombo condemned the incident.
“We will never rest in our laurels as the police management in this province, until we clean all those hyenas who hide in the beautiful blue while they want to scavenge on innocent citizens and dent the good image of the police,” she said. – Sapa
Nyanga, one of the famous black townships in Cape Town
A policeman was shot dead and another was wounded while on patrol in Nyanga, Western Cape police said on Tuesday.
The policeman was shot in the head by two men he and a partner stopped to search on Monday night, said Captain Frederick van Wyk. He died later in hospital.
The other policeman was wounded in the hand and shoulder in an exchange of fire with the two gunmen, who shot at them while they were getting out of their police car at the corner of Zwelitsha and Hlathe roads.
Two members of the public were also wounded in the crossfire and were taken to hospital, said Van Wyk.
“Several shots were fired and SA Police Service members returned fire as the suspects fled the scene on foot,” he said.
The men stole a service pistol from one of the policemen before fleeing.
An officer was shot in the head and died later in hospital.
No arrests had been made.
“This attack on police officers will not be tolerated and every endeavour will be made to bring those responsible to book,” Van Wyk said. – Sapa
Four men, including a police officer, were arrested as they allegedly tried to rob a house in Jeppe, Johannesburg police said on Thursday.
They were caught when they arrived at the house belonging to a businessman on Macdonald Street, after police were tipped off on Wednesday morning, Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said.
The men were found in possession of several items of police equipment and uniforms. A crime scene jacket, handcuffs, a fraudulent police identity certificate, handcuffs, a service pistol, a shocking stick with police identification marks, and nine cellphones were among the items seized. Three vehicles were impounded.
One of the men was a policeman based at the Johannesburg Central police station.
They were expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of conspiracy to commit house robbery and impersonating police. Investigations were continuing to establish if they could be linked to other crimes. – Sapa
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Police in Lehurutshe are investigating cases of Murder and Inquest after Warrant Officer Sachs Tlhowe Mothowagae’s body was found inside a car at the gate of his sister’s place on 22 December 2013 at about 03:45 at Welbedacht Township near Zeerust. It is alleged that the warrant officer was shot through his mouth.
