Mahanyele

Limpopo High Court. Photo: File

Trio sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murders of Veronica Mahanyele and Lethabo Madigage on the same day in 2018

Kenneth Sebushi, 25, Lesibana Johannes Khalo, 26 and Lehlogonolo Mabokela, 30 were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.

Mahanyele

Limpopo High Court. Photo: File

The Polokwane High Court sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the brutal murders of Veronica Mahanyele and Lethabo Madigage on 9 February 2018. The accused were also linked to several other cases in the area.

MAHANYELE AND MADIGAGE’S KILLERS SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

Kenneth Sebushi, 25, Lesibana Johannes Khalo, 26 and Lehlogonolo Mabokela, 30, hijacked Mahanyele while she was on her way to work.

The 47-year-old was employed by the Limpopo Department of Land Affairs at the time. The accused murdered her and dumped her body along the Matlala road near Newlands.

“The killers then took the deceased’s motor vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double-cab and drove to Seshego and withdrew money from her bank account,” said South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo.

Later on the same day, the accused raped Madidage – who was 21 at the time – and crushed her to death with stones.

The murderers then put her body into Mahanyele’s vehicle and set the car alight.

“The cases were allocated to Constable Mokhepo Vivian Gafane attached to the Provincial Investigating Unit.

“A team of Investigators derived from the Provincial Tracking Team and Provincial Investigating Unit was assembled to track down the killers,” said Mojapelo.

On 10 April 2018, the detectives made a breakthrough in the case and the killers were arrested in Kalkspruit Village in Mashashane outside Polokwane.

The trio was linked to five cases of armed robbery in Polokwane and possession of stolen motor vehicles in Benoni and Springs in Gauteng, respectively.

 The police spokesperson said the trio targeted hitchhikers on the Matlala Road, the R37 – between Polokwane and Lebowakgomo – and the N1 towards Gauteng.

Both Sebushi and Khalo were handed double life sentences for their crimes. The former will serve an additional 60 years imprisonment and the latter 45 years.

Mabokela was handed 45 years imprisonment – he is already serving a life sentence “for a murder he committed last year,” said Mojapelo.

Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, the Limpopo police commissioner, welcomed the sentences and commended the investigating teams for solving the Mahanyele and Madigage murders.

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