A North West man who murdered two people and left their bodies in pit toilets has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lehurutshe Regional Court.
Lemogang Mothibi, 26, was convicted of the murders of two people.
North West police spokesperson Sergeant Sipho Taliwe said the bodies of the victims were found in December 2019.
“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,” Taliwe said.
Police said their investigation led them to Mothibi, who had been treated by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) after attempting to harm himself.
The following day, police recovered another body.
“On December 3, 2019, police recovered the body of Kadimo Abram Mokopanele, 40, in a different pit toilet after family members reported him missing. DNA evidence later linked Mothibi and a second suspect, Jan ‘Cobra’ Motswaedi, to the murders,” Taliwe said.
However, Motswaedi died before the trial was concluded, leaving Mothibi to stand trial alone.
“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,” Taliwe said.
The court sentenced Mothibi to life imprisonment for each murder. It also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The Acting District Commissioner of Ngaka Modiri Molema, Brigadier Bigboy Dube, welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Motsatsi Eunice Modibetsane, for her outstanding investigation.
Dube also praised the investigating team and the prosecution for their dedication and professionalism. He said the sentence reflects the SAPS’s commitment to ensuring justice for victims and their families.
