The Polokwane High Court has sentenced Mologadi Magdeline Mehlape to life imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of her father, Dr Malekutu Johannes Mehlape, a respected circuit manager at the Limpopo Department of Education.
The chilling murder took place in December 2023 at the family home in Mankweng Zone 1, just outside Polokwane. Mologadi, 28, admitted to orchestrating her father’s killing and was convicted of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. In addition to the life sentence for murder, she received a further 15-year prison sentence for the robbery, although both sentences will run concurrently.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi confirmed the sentencing on Wednesday, saying the case had exposed disturbing details of family betrayal, misguided beliefs, and greed.
According to evidence presented in court, Mologadi arranged for her father to be killed after being influenced by a traditional healer, Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane, who convinced her that her father was responsible for her mother’s death through the use of witchcraft or “muti”. Driven by grief, unresolved family disputes, and this belief, Mologadi allegedly tried to retaliate through traditional spiritual means, but when those failed, she took a darker turn.
Determined to see her father dead, she conspired with family members and agreed to pay R200,000 to hire a contract killer to carry out the murder.
On the night of December 28, 2023, Mologadi unlocked the main gate and front door of her father’s home, granting the hired killers access. Dr Mehlape was ambushed in his bedroom as he slept, shot multiple times, and robbed of his belongings, including his cellphone.
While delivering her mitigation plea, Mologadi apologised to her family, telling the court that she was the primary caregiver to her 21-month-old daughter and had unresolved personal issues with her late father. However, state prosecutor Advocate Muneiwa Ratshibvumo argued that her plea of guilt was not motivated by genuine remorse but by the overwhelming evidence against her.
Ratshibvumo described the murder as “gruesome and heartless,” highlighting the calculated betrayal involved. She urged the court to impose the harshest penalty available, arguing that society needed to see justice served in cases of such brutality.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and the life sentence,” said Malabi-Dzhangi. “It demonstrates the justice system’s firm stance on violent crimes and shows that those who commit such heinous acts will be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, the trials of Mologadi’s four co-accused — Tshepo Gabriel Ranoto, 34, Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane, 34, Mahlodi Melida Mathole, 34, and Michael Sello Molongoane, 42 — have been separated from hers. They face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Their case has been postponed to June 20 for further proceedings.
This case has sent shockwaves through the Limpopo community, serving as a grim reminder of how misguided beliefs and family conflicts can lead to tragic and irreversible consequences.