Double life terms for man who hid two bodies in pit toilets

A North West man has been sentenced to two life terms after being convicted of murdering two people whose bodies were found hidden in pit toilets in December 2019, the Lehurutshe Regional Court and police said.

What happened

Police said the first body was found on 2 December 2019 in Khunotswane Village, Molemane Section. Sergeant Sipho Taliwe, North West police spokesperson, said:

“On Monday, December 2, 2019, police responded to a murder scene in Khunotswane Village, Molemane Section. The body of 40-year-old Lazarus Buti Mokopanele was found inside a pit toilet after signs of a violent struggle were discovered in his room,”

Emergency Medical Services treated the suspect, 26-year-old Lemogang Mothibi, after he had attempted to harm himself, police said. The following day, on 3 December 2019, police recovered a second body. Sergeant Taliwe said:

“On December 3, 2019, police recovered the body of Kadimo Abram Mokopanele, 40, in a different pit toilet after family members reported him missing.”

Investigation and evidence

Police said DNA evidence linked Mothibi and a second suspect, Jan ‘Cobra’ Motswaedi, to the murders. The report states that Motswaedi died before the trial concluded, leaving Mothibi to stand trial alone.

According to Sergeant Taliwe, the evidence presented in court attributed a motive to the killings:

“Evidence presented before the court indicated that the murders were motivated by money. Mothibi murdered Lazarus Mokopanele and concealed his body in a pit toilet. When Kadimo questioned his brother’s whereabouts, he was also killed to eliminate him as a witness, and his body was dumped in another pit toilet,”

Sentence and official responses

The Lehurutshe Regional Court sentenced Mothibi to life imprisonment for each murder and declared him unfit to possess a firearm, the police statement said.

Acting District Commissioner of Ngaka Modiri Molema, Brigadier Bigboy Dube, welcomed the sentence and commended Detective Sergeant Motsatsi Eunice Modibetsane for her investigation. Dube also praised the investigating team and the prosecution for their dedication and professionalism, saying the sentence reflects the South African Police Service’s commitment to ensuring justice for victims and their families.

Case details kept to reported facts

This article reports only the facts supplied by the IOL crime-and-courts account and statements attributed to North West police and officials.