A birthday party in a North West village ended with 3 people dead and a 41-year-old man in police custody after residents helped track him down less than 12 hours after a public alert was issued.
James Mohajane was handed over to police by members of the Moeka Vuma community near Makapanstad at about 9.30am on Thursday, 27 August. He was wanted in connection with the deaths of his girlfriend, Moipone Lefoka, 42, her sister Esther Lefoka, 35, and Esther’s boyfriend, Tshepo Molekwa, 37.
The 3 victims were found at Molekwa’s home in Mmotong Section, Swartdam, in the Moretele Local Municipality on Sunday morning, 23 August. Police said they had allegedly been hacked to death with a spade over the weekend. A spade believed to have been used in the attack was found inside the house.
The arrest brought a rapid end to a manhunt that began after police arrived at the scene and found that Mohajane was not there. His cellphone was allegedly found at the house, while the motive for the killings remains under investigation.
Police had released a public alert and circulated Mohajane’s photograph. Members of the community recognised him and took him to officers. The handover followed an appeal for information and a warning that people should not approach or confront him.
Acting national commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane thanked the residents who helped police, as well as the people who shared the alert online.
“Once again, our communities have demonstrated that they’re an important partner in the fight against crime.”
She added: “The swift response by the community of Moeka Vuma, together with the assistance of the media and social media users who shared the suspect’s photograph, has contributed significantly to bringing this wanted suspect into police custody. We thank everyone who played a role.”
The case began with a scene that relatives said they had never witnessed in their village. The bodies of Molekwa, Esther and Moipone were discovered lying in pools of blood after the 3 had spent Saturday night together at Molekwa’s home.
Family members said the group had gathered for a birthday celebration on Saturday, 22 August. The celebration was later followed by a silence that left relatives trying to understand how a night with friends had turned into a multiple killing.
Rose Lefoka, 40, from Vontin in Cyferskuil, said she was struggling to accept the condition in which the victims were found.
“It’s like they were killing animals. Seeing their bodies covered in blood and with such terrible wounds was traumatising.”
Rose said the family believed that someone known to them might know more about what had happened inside the house. She said she received a call from Moipone’s 11-year-old child at about 7am on Sunday.
“She told me that her mother, Esther and Tshepo were lying down with blood on their bodies and they were not waking up.”
Rose told the child to alert neighbours. The discovery then set the community on a path that led to the police investigation and, days later, the search for Mohajane.
The deaths have left children without their parents. Moipone is survived by 2 children, Esther leaves behind 3 children, and Molekwa is survived by 1 child. The 2 sisters were expected to be buried in Cyferskuil on Saturday, 29 August.
Rose said both sisters lived in Swartdam. Esther sometimes stayed with Tshepo and Moipone. Her last conversation with Moipone took place on Friday, 21 August, when Rose was ill with flu.
“My last words from my sister were, ‘My sister, get well soon. I will see you on Monday, 24 August.’”
That planned visit never took place. Instead, Rose was left mourning both of her sisters.
“We want justice for my sisters,” she said.
Esther’s friend, Sina Baloyi, 37, also described the difficulty of accepting the deaths.
“I’m too weak. It feels like I’m dreaming,” she said.
Mogomotsi Molekwa, 25, said Tshepo was killed inside his own home. She said the birthday gathering had been held there and that the victims were close friends.
“My brother was killed in his house, where they allegedly celebrated the birthday of a friend who was among the deceased. They were close friends.”
Mogomotsi believed the noise from the celebration may have led neighbours to think the group was still together and enjoying the party when the killings took place. She said Tshepo and Esther appeared to have been in a good relationship.
Veronica Mabasa, a community leader, said the violence had deeply affected residents in Mmotong Section.
“This is painful, and we haven’t seen something like this in our village. We have only seen such things on TV,” she said.
North West police spokesperson Captain Majang Skalkie confirmed that investigators were dealing with 3 counts of murder. He said police had received a report about 2 female victims and 1 male victim found at the Mmotong Section property. The motive was unknown and the investigation continued.
Mohajane’s arrest came during a week in which police were also praising public assistance in another intimate-partner murder case. On 19 August, 27-year-old Simiso Silomo Phakathi was arrested in Klerksdorp after members of the public recognised his photograph. He had been wanted in connection with the death of his 37-year-old live-in girlfriend, Jabulisile Josephina Tshabalala, whose body was found in a backroom in Orlando East, Soweto, on 13 August.
Police said Tshabalala was last seen alive on 7 August and had allegedly been stabbed. A warrant for Phakathi’s arrest had been issued, and his details were circulated after police appealed for help. Members of the public who recognised him passed information to the police, leading to his arrest within hours of the alert.
The 2 cases have placed renewed attention on the role residents can play when police circulate urgent appeals for information. In the North West case, the alert was shared widely and the suspect was located before the manhunt could stretch into another day. Police have nevertheless warned communities not to take matters into their own hands or place themselves in danger.
Investigators are continuing to work on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Moipone, Esther and Tshepo. Mohajane is expected to face charges linked to the 3 killings, while the families prepare to bury the victims and seek answers about what happened inside the house after the birthday celebration ended.
