Residents of Nebo and Hlogotlou in the Sekhukhune district of Limpopo will finally be able to live in peace after the Polokwane High Court sentenced the most dangerous and feared criminal who used to terrorise them to a hefty 222-year prison term.
Lesley Morwamashobe Mohlala (33) was given a total sentence of 222 years in prison after being found guilty on 23 counts of rape and robbery.
The court mandated that the minimum sentence for counts two through 23 be 15 years in prison and that the 10 years in jail on count one do not run concurrently with counts two through 23.
Mohlala was arrested for rape by the Hlogotlou police on March 18, 2018, and the state successfully contested his bail request.
However, on October 11, 2018, he broke out of custody while being taken to Witbank Prison in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga.
The escape occurred in the same Sekhukhune district at Learsdrift near Stoffberg, leading to the opening of a case docket.
Nailed by DNA evidence
Mohlala terrorised the Nebo and Hlogotlou neighbourhoods while he was on the run. He targeted public works offices, traffic stations, government buildings, clinics, and other public establishments.
His crime spree included stealing cellphones and firearms from security guards. Mohlala also caused fear in the impacted communities and robbed victims of their possessions, such as cash and cellphones.
The Nebo Jane Furse tracking team members apprehended Mohlala again on April 14, 2023, at a Jane Furse hiding place. He was accused of committing eight robberies.
He was connected to two more rape cases while he was an unidentified suspect thanks to DNA evidence.
He was found guilty of evading lawful custody and given a two-year direct prison sentence on April 16, 2023. After this sentence, he remained in custody without being granted bail.
Dedicated investigative work by the men in blue from the Nebo and Jane Furse tracking teams, who looked into every robbery case, and the Groblersdal family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit, which looked into every rape case, led to a successful prosecution.
