The High Court in Polokwane has imposed a life sentence on Mologadi Magdeline Mehlape, a 28-year-old South African woman, for the premeditated killing of her father, Dr Malekutu Johannes Mehlape, who served as a circuit manager at the Limpopo Department of Education.
The ruling, handed down on Wednesday, June 11, came after Mehlape pleaded guilty to charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Alongside the life sentence for murder, she was given a 15-year sentence for robbery, with the court ordering both penalties to be served concurrently.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that the case arose from a violent incident on December 28, 2023, in Mankweng Zone 1, near Polokwane, where Dr Mehlape was ambushed and shot multiple times in his bedroom. The assailants also stole valuable items, including his mobile phone.
According to NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Mehlape planned her father’s murder after a traditional healer, co-accused Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane, claimed that her father used witchcraft (muti) to cause her mother’s death. When traditional methods of retaliation proved ineffective, Mehlape allegedly worked with family members and agreed to pay R200,000 to have her father killed.
On the night of the murder, Mehlape facilitated the attack by unlocking the gate and main entrance to her father’s home, allowing the attackers to enter and execute the killing while he was asleep.
Four other individuals, Tshepo Gabriel Ranoto, Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane, Mahlodi Melida Mathole, and Michael Sello Molongoane, face separate charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Their trial has been adjourned until June 20.
In her plea for leniency, Mehlape expressed regret to her family, citing unresolved conflicts with her father and her role as a caregiver to her 21-month-old daughter.
However, State Advocate Muneiwa Ratshibvumo rejected the apology, arguing that it stemmed not from genuine remorse but from the overwhelming evidence against her. She described the murder as “gruesome and heartless.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
