In a chilling case that has stunned South Africa, 28-year-old Mologadi Magdeline Mehlape has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of her father, Dr. Malekutu Johannes Mehlape, a circuit manager at the Limpopo Department of Education.
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The Polokwane High Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. According to a report by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mehlape also received an additional 15-year sentence for robbery with aggravating circumstances. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The murder took place on December 28, 2023, in Mankweng Zone 1, near Polokwane. Prosecutors revealed that Mehlape orchestrated her father’s death after a traditional healer, Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane—who is also a co-accused—convinced her that Dr. Mehlape used witchcraft to kill her mother. When traditional methods of retaliation allegedly failed, Mehlape paid R200,000 to arrange his assassination.
On the night of the killing, she unlocked the gate and door to her father’s home, giving the killers access while he was asleep. He was ambushed and shot multiple times. His attackers also stole valuables including his phone.
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Four co-accused—Tshepo Gabriel Ranoto, Hlologelo Klaas Mogotlane, Mahlodi Melida Mathole, and Michael Sello Molongoane—are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and ammunition. Their trial has been adjourned to June 20.
During sentencing, Mehlape pleaded for leniency, expressing regret and citing her role as a mother to a 21-month-old daughter.
However, State Advocate Muneiwa Ratshibvumo dismissed her apology, stating: “Her remorse was not genuine but prompted by overwhelming evidence. This murder was gruesome and heartless.”
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The court’s decision brings partial closure to a case that highlights the devastating consequences of superstition, family conflict, and calculated violence.
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