Sangoma was supposed to be a hired killer

25 June 2010, 09:20


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By Angelique Serrao

A man calling himself Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's nephew is on the run from the police after his alleged scheme to have his pregnant ex-girlfriend murdered was revealed.

A day before the woman was to be murdered, a sangoma who Bongani Mhlophe allegedly had hired to arrange Malebo Sesoko's murder called her to tell her about the plot.

The sangoma, who cannot be named as he has turned State witness, allegedly called Malebo Sesoko, 37, last month to tell her he had been hired by her ex-boyfriend, Bongani Mhlophe, to kill her.

She was five months pregnant at the time. Sesoko said she believed he took out the hit on her because he did not want the child.

"I dated this man until February, when I found out I was pregnant. He wasn't happy. He wanted me to have an abortion. I said no. I wanted the baby, and I said I would break up with him instead," Sesoko said.

She had met Mhlophe through her church, and she said people in the community found out about the break-up and were upset with him. This included his work colleagues.

Mhlophe is the director of six businesses, including a company that has received numerous tenders through various government departments.

Sesoko said his business colleagues confronted him about the break-up, and he said he would meet her with one of them at a McDonald's in Pretoria.

"I didn't know it then, but the meeting was for four hitmen to see who I was, so that they could follow and kill me," she said. But there were two women, so the men were confused about which one was their target. So another meeting was set up.

Weeks later, Sesoko said she got a phone call from a man pretending to buy her car.

"He told me he had been hired to kill me and he wanted to confess. The hit was supposed to be the next day. I didn't believe him at first, but then he described where I had been and what I had been wearing. The next day we went to the police."

Police arrested three men the next day when they were going to meet, allegedly to kill her. They were allegedly to be paid R120 000 for the crime.

Captain Cynthia Magoai confirmed that three suspects had been arrested and had appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court. The ex-boyfriend is still on the run.

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on June 25, 2010

The Star

Comments by Sonny

Great occupation being a sangoma.

You can poison the enemy and say it was a medical mistake.

A fourth force to be reckoned with.

They make the best criminals.