Murderer and serial rapist sentenced to 279 years in prison

Thanks to the brilliant detective work by the investigating officer W/O Bonita Dry, a hardened criminal who committed serious crimes in Ikageng and Promosa, received a combined sentence of 279 years for the 27 offences he was charged with.

Thabang Gordon Moloi (28) was sentenced at the High Court, North-West Division that was sitting at the Klerksdorp Regional Court on Thursday, 9 December and received three life sentences on one count of murder and two counts of rape. His 27 charges include murder, rape, attempted murder, multiple robberies with aggravating circumstances, multiple kidnappings and housebreakings, theft, an attempted escape from lawful custody and an escape from lawful custody.

W/O Dry admitted that this was the most emotional case of her career so far. “This was not my most difficult case but my most emotional case. Moloi’s violent crimes had an overpowering emotional impact on the victims he left behind. It also had a profound impact on my emotional wellbeing.

Henry Mamothame, the regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), reported on the serious crimes Moloi was charged with.

Moloi’s trail of destruction started on the night of 10 July 2016 when he kidnapped and adult female from Ikageng who he met on the street. He dragged her to a nearby house and raped her.

More than a year later, on the night of 14 August 2017, Moloi together with an accomplice known as Rodger, met a couple on the street and started to assault the man with stones, hitting him on the head.  They then dragged the man’s girlfriend to the next street and took turns to rape her.

According to Mamothame, Moloi and Roger continued their criminal activities that escalated in its cruelty. On 12 November 2017 they approached a man in Ikageng who was in a motor vehicle with his girlfriend. They threatened the couple with knives, kidnapped them and instructed the man to drive towards Klerksdorp.

They stopped along the way and tied the man up with his T-shirt and demanded bank cards and pin codes. The victim managed to escape while the car was in motion towards Klerksdorp where the two intended to make a withdrawal at a bank.

The two subsequently drove to Jouberton where they dropped off the victim’s girlfriend before taking off with his car, bank cards and a laptop.

On 3 December 2017, Moloi and Rodger kidnapped three adult females at knifepoint, took them to an isolated location where they tied them up with shoelaces and proceeded to rape one of them while recording themselves. They then later robbed the victims’ money before fleeing the scene.

Seven days later, still in Ikageng, Moloi and Rodger kidnapped two adult females at knifepoint near a pub. They took them to an isolated area where they robbed them from their cell phones and demanded their bank cards and pin codes. Moloi left the scene to withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts. Rodger then proceeded to rape one of the victims whilst Moloi was away.  The female who was watching while her friend was being raped, managed to grab Rodger’s knife and stabbed him to death.

On 19 December 2017 the tides turned when Moloi was taken into custody and charged. He tried to escape two days later while he was detained at Potchefstroom police station awaiting a court appearance, but the police managed to apprehend him.  He later succeeded to escape when he managed to free himself from the foot-cuffs and jumped out of the police vehicle.

Amongst other offences he committed following his escape, the court convicted him for breaking into a house and robbing cell phones from three women. He was also found guilty of robbing an adult female from her Toyota Tazz and money. He drove around with her in Jouberton and Albania before dumping her on the road. Police later recovered the vehicle in a damaged state.

On 6 April 2018 Moloi and another accomplice named Muzwa, approached an adult male who was standing near a road in Promosa. They stabbed him in the neck and stomach multiple times before robbing him of his cell phone, shoes, trouser and money.

They then put him in the boot of their car, drove from the scene and dumped him at an isolated area. They also hit him with stones on the head before fleeing the scene. The man was certified dead on the scene upon his discovery. Moloi’s rampant criminal behaviour came to an end when he was rearrested on 20 August 2018 and more charges were added to his docket.

Mamothame says he is currently serving a 15-year sentence on a charge of kidnapping and robbery and has another pending rape case that is unrelated to the 27 offences he is sentenced on. He also has four other convictions to his name, that include theft, two robberies with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping. Mamothame reported that Advocate Siphiwo Jika urged the court to consider the ordeal suffered by the vulnerable victims in the hands of Moloi.

“Judge Nicholas Laubscher also shared this sentiment and said that the criminal justice system has a responsibility to ensure that communities are protected from such violent and deadly acts”, Mamothame said.

The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the North-West, Dr Rachel Makhari-Sekhaolelo applauds the collaborated effort by the state prosecutor and the South African Police Service (SAPS) on a successful prosecution.