A South African Police Service (SAPS) police officer accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend with his state gun takes blood pressure and depression medication daily.
This information was revealed on Friday at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court during the bail application of Midrand Police Station’s detective sergeant Mokgesseng Jeffrey Moleko, 47.
Moleko is facing two counts of murder and one count of unlicensed possession of ammunition. The case relates to the murders of his ex-girlfriend Phumla Dladla, 45, and her new boyfriend, Paul Tatu, a priest.
Murders occurred in 2024
Moleko is alleged to have shot and killed Dladla and Tatu with his state-issued firearm on April 27 2024 in Noordwyk, Midrand.
He was arrested last week Friday, July 18, and made his first court appearance on Monday.
The matter was postponed to Friday, July 25 for his bail application.
During the court proceedings, his lawyer, Adv Deon Pool, read Moleko’s bail application affidavit in court.
Pool said Moleko intends to plead not guilty to all the charges because he has not seen the docket. Also because he does not know the evidence police have against him to charge him.
Pool said Moleko’s state-issued firearm has been taken in by his employer, SAPS. His passport is with the investigating officer.
He added that Moleko does not have any previous convictions nor pending cases.
Defence argues for bail
And he added that Moleko has never had any internal disciplinary cases within the SAPS.
Moleko has been an employee of the SAPS for 17 years. He said in his bail affidavit that he currently lives in Midrand with his romantic partner of three years.
He said he was married to Dladla since 2010, and she was his estranged wife at the time of her death.
Moleko said he and Dladla have two children, a boy aged 14 and a girl aged 11.
He said the children are under his primary care. They are now living with his current romantic partner and his sister.
Moleko added that he has a 72-year-old mother who survives on a state pension social grant, which is not enough for her survival. He said he supplements her grant with money from his R26, 000 gross salary.
He said his further incarceration will affect his ability to go back to work and generate an income.
Moleko said he is currently on medication for blood pressure and depression, which he takes daily.
He said he can afford bail of R5, 000.
Moleko said the court should grant him bail so that he can continue to financially take care of his mother, live with his two children, and return to work.
He said SAPS suspended him on Thursday.
State opposed bail
State prosecutor Yusuf Baba told magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe that the state is opposing Moleko’s bail and will lead its arguments next week Wednesday.
Mkhasibe postponed the matter to next week Wednesday, July 30 2025 for the state’s arguments.
Moleko remains in police custody.
According to a police report seen by Sunday World, on April 27 2024, a woman (Dladla) was shot and killed in Noordwyk. Then 30 minutes later, a man (Tatu) who left the complex, was found dead on the N1 highway. He had a bullet wound to the back of his head.
The two case dockets were referred to the serious violent crimes investigation (SVCI), murder and robbery unit for further investigation.
During the investigations, it was revealed that the deceased woman (Dladla) was the ex-girlfriend of Moleko. And that the deceased man (Tatu) was the woman’s new boyfriend.
Police report added that the same state-issued firearm, assigned to Moleko, was used in both killings.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Moleko, and he was nabbed at his workplace last week Friday.
Families devastated
Speaking after Moleko’s bail application, Skhumbuzo Sontsi, 39, spokesperson for the Dladla and Tatu families, said Moleko and Dladla were never married but lived together.
“Both families are devastated by the killings. Our worlds crumbled when we lost two important people and breadwinners in our lives. I know him [Moleko] personally; he is [reckless]. He must rot in jail,” said Sontsi.
Sontsi declined to comment further on why he said Moleko was out of control.
