Two men were convicted of murder on Tuesday and sentenced heavily in the regional court in Potchefstroom in the North West. This was after the body of Tsietsi Mogale, 51, was found in a nearby waterhole last year with a plastic bag around his head.
Col. Police spokesperson Adéle Myburgh said in a statement that Phindile Vis, 29, and Vuyisile Mkhalipi, 22, had been jailed for 30 and 25 years, respectively, on charges of murder and motor theft.
Mogale’s body was found in March 2019 in a waterhole near Dassierand in Potchefstroom. He sustained multiple injuries to his body and had a plastic bag around his head.
According to Myburgh, a preliminary investigation indicated that the deceased’s BMW was missing and police identified the two suspects.
“Police visited one of the accused’s home where they found a resident. The resident informed the police that the accused was at home with a lot of blood on the floor. The blood had already been cleared, ”Myburgh explained.
According to Myburgh, forensic experts were called immediately to the scene to collect evidence. Welkom police in the Free State contacted them while they were still investigating the scene.
They informed police that they located Mogale’s vehicle and arrested two suspects. Both later admitted they had hit the victim with a hammer before stealing his car to sell it, Myburgh said.
Vis was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder and 10 years for motor theft, while Mkhalipi was sentenced to 15 years in prison for murder and 10 years in prison for motor theft.
