A South African Police Service (SAPS) officer accused of shooting and killing his estranged wife and boyfriend with his state gun in April 2024 allegedly assaulted his children with his police belt in 2019.
This information was revealed on Wednesday at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court during the bail application of Midrand Police Station officer Detective Sergeant Mokgesseng Jeffrey Moleko, 47.
Moleko is facing two counts of murder and one count of unlicensed possession of ammunition. The charges are in connection with the murders of his estranged wife, Phumla Dladla, 45, and her boyfriend, Paul Tatu, a priest.
Used police-issued gun on both murders
Moleko is alleged to have shot and killed Dladla and Tatu with his state-issued firearm on April 27 2024. The incident allegedly occurred in Noordwyk, Midrand.
He allegedly shot and killed Dladla at her home at the Sagewood Manor complex in Noordwyk. Thereafter he is alleged to have shot Tatu near the Samrand off-ramp on the N1 highway.
Moleko was arrested on Friday, July 18.
His bail application affidavit was read in court last week Friday, July 25 when he was applying for bail.
During the court proceedings on Wednesday, state prosecutor Yusuf Baba told magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe that the state is opposing Moleko’s bail and will lead its arguments through its state witness, investigating officer Lt-Col Andile Makhaya.
Makhaya took the stand and started testifying.
Makhaya said, according to witnesses, between 2019 and April 2024, Dladla had been receiving death threats from Moleko. He was allegedly threatening to shoot and kill her.
He said Dladla and Moleko lived together from 2010 until 2020 at the Sagewood Manor complex in Noordwyk.
Years of physical abuse
Makhaya said Moleko started physically abusing Dladla in 2010.
He said on September 30 2019, Moleko assaulted their two children with his police belt. The two children were aged nine and four at the time. The children are now 14 (boy) and 11 (girl).
Makhaya said on the day of the alleged assault, the two children were taking a bath in the bathroom while naked.
He said Moleko entered the bathroom and started beating the children with his police belt.
“The elder child was bleeding on the back,” said Makhaya.
He said the reason for Moleko to beat the children was because of a broken window. They allegedly lied to him about how a dining room window got cracked.
Assault case regarding kids withdrawn
After the incident, Makhaya said a case docket was opened by Dladla against Moleko. But the case was withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The reason for the withdrawal was because there were no prospects of successful conviction.
Makhaya said in June 2020, Dladla was assaulted by Moleko at their Noordwyk home.
He said Dladla opened a case of assault against Moleko at the Midrand Police Station after the alleged assault.
Makhaya said the case was also withdrawn by the NPA because there were no prospects of a successful conviction.
Meanwhile, Makhaya said the four cartridges found at the scene of Dladla’s murder were tested against the ones from Moleko’s state-issued firearm. The results came back positive.
He said this was a confirmation that Moleko’s state-issued firearm is the murder weapon that killed Dladla.
Baba asked Mkhasibe to postpone the matter to Thursday for Makhaya to continue with his testimony.
Accused remains in custody
Mkhasibe postponed the matter to Thursday for Makhaya to continue with his testimony.
Moleko remains in police custody.
During his bail application last week, Moleko, through his lawyer Adv Deon Pool, said he takes daily medication for blood pressure and depression, which are chronic. Moleko said he can afford R5, 000 bail.
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 had just 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 the deceased man (Tatu) was the woman’s new boyfriend. The police report added that the same state-issued firearm, assigned to Moleko, was used in both killings,” read the police report.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Moleko, and he was arrested at his workplace on July 18.
