“Dirty man of God” jailed for murder, rape and kidnapping

The Limpopo High Court has sentenced Mothupi Tjale Tau, 36, from Brooklyn in Sekhukhune District, to three life sentences plus an additional 37 years’ imprisonment for multiple offences, including two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Tau has also been declared unfit to possess firearms, added to the National Register of Sexual Offenders, and barred from working with children under Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.

The court heard that between 29 and 30 December 2023, Tau, who presented himself as a prophet offering spiritual guidance, attacked the Malepe family at their home in Oaks Village. He stabbed Hellen Teiwa Malepe, leaving her dead, and later strangled and raped her daughter, Kgaogelo Michelle Malepe, who also died from her injuries.

Tau then restrained the daughter’s five-year-old son, gagging him with a jersey, tying his hands behind his back, and locking him inside the home in the presence of his deceased mother and sister.

Tau had pleaded not guilty, but multiple witnesses testified against him. Evidence presented in court demonstrated that he targeted the family for robbery and committed the acts with premeditation. Senior State Advocate Lerato Mohlaka highlighted the severity of the crimes, noting that Tau had committed several of the most heinous offences, including murder, rape, and assault of a minor. She stressed that the case exemplified the extreme nature of gender-based violence in South Africa.

Mohlaka told the court that the murders sent shockwaves through Oaks Village and the broader community, noting that gender-based violence has been declared a national disaster by the President of South Africa. The state argued that sentences should reflect society’s intolerance of such violent crimes.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the verdict. Adv. Ivy Thenga, Director of Public Prosecutions, stated that sexual violence infringes on the constitutional rights to dignity and privacy of victims, and emphasized the NPA’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting such cases. She praised the work of Advocate Mohlaka and Sergeant Shawn Mbhalati of Hoedspruit Police Station for securing the conviction.

Mashudu Malabi, NPA regional spokesperson, said the sentence underscores the justice system’s commitment to addressing femicide, sexual violence, and crimes against vulnerable members of society. Tau will serve his sentences in custody, ensuring he cannot harm others.