Fake Prophet Jailed For Life After Brutal Limpopo Family Murders

A self-proclaimed prophet who unleashed terror on a family in The Oaks village near Hoedspruit has been sentenced to three life terms and an additional 37 years behind bars for a string of brutal crimes, including the murders of a mother and daughter, rape, kidnapping and robbery.

The Limpopo High Court in Polokwane found 36-year-old Mothupi Tjale Tau guilty of a catalogue of violent offences, with the court ordering that his name be entered into the National Register of Sexual Offenders.

He has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm and barred from working with children.

‘Prophet’ Turns Predator

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi, Tau had infiltrated the home of Hellen Teiwa Malepe by posing as a prophet offering spiritual guidance. But between 29 and 30 December 2023, his intentions turned deadly.

Malabi said Tau dragged Malepe from her home into nearby bushes, where he stabbed her repeatedly before fleeing with her mobile phone.

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He then returned to the house, where he attacked Malepe’s daughter, Kgaogelo Michelle Malepe. He strangled her until she lost consciousness, raped her, and inflicted severe injuries that led to her death at the scene.

Tau also brutalised Malepe’s five-year-old son, stuffing a jersey into the child’s mouth, binding him with masking tape and locking him inside the house — leaving the boy trapped with his sister’s body.

No Leniency for “Most Heinous Crimes”

Tau was arrested following a police investigation and remained in custody throughout the trial.

In aggravation of sentence, senior state advocate Lerato Mohlaka told the court that Tau had committed “more than one type of the three most heinous crimes,” noting the murders, rape and the extreme cruelty inflicted on a minor.

The State argued that the attack had sent shock waves through The Oaks village and the country, especially as South Africa continues to battle gender-based violence, which has been declared a national crisis.

The NPA has applauded the outcome, with Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Ivy Thenga, saying the conviction underscores the justice system’s commitment to holding perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence fully accountable.

“All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of victims as enshrined in our Constitution,” Thenga said. She also commended Advocate Mohlaka and Sergeant Shawn Mbhalati of the Hoedspruit police station for their work in securing the conviction.

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