The North West High Court sitting in Mahikeng found 47 year old Kabelo Motsamai guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
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A former senior municipal official was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday for orchestrating the murder of a local businessman in what the court described as a “cold and calculated execution rooted in personal vendetta and greed.”
The North West High Court sitting in Mahikeng found 47 year old Kabelo Motsamai guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Two of his co accused, Lesego Diale, 29, and Tshepo Modise, 34, were also handed life sentences for their direct involvement in the killing of property developer Sam Molefe in April 2024.
A Contract Killing Disguised as Robbery
According to the prosecution, Molefe had recently won a multimillion rand tender for a housing project in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality. The tender had previously been earmarked for a company linked to Motsamai, who was dismissed from his position in the municipality in 2023 following corruption allegations.The court heard that Motsamai, infuriated by the loss and determined to reclaim control of the project, paid Diale and Modise R150 000 to eliminate Molefe and make the killing appear to be a robbery.
On the afternoon of 19 April 2024, Molefe was ambushed outside his offices in Lichtenburg. Eyewitnesses testified that two men approached him as he was getting into his car. After a brief exchange, Molefe was shot five times at close range. The suspects took his laptop bag and fled the scene in a stolen vehicle.
Key Evidence and Arrests
Investigators were able to trace the getaway vehicle, which had been abandoned in an open field near Coligny. Forensic teams recovered a set of fingerprints and a discarded glove containing Modise’s DNA.
CCTV footage from a nearby fuel station also showed Diale purchasing petrol just hours before the shooting, while driving the same vehicle used in the murder. The final breakthrough came when investigators intercepted phone records linking Motsamai to both men in the days leading up to the murder.
Bank records further revealed suspicious payments made from an offshore account to Diale and Modise shortly after Molefe’s death. Judge Thabo Mosiane delivered a scathing judgment, saying the murder was “an attack on justice, business integrity, and the value of human life.”
“This was not a crime of impulse. It was a methodically planned assassination motivated by power, ego, and revenge. The accused showed no remorse and used their positions and connections to manipulate others into doing their dirty work,” he said.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana praised the investigative team and welcomed the sentence, calling it a warning to anyone who believes they are above the law.
Molefe’s family, present in court, said they were relieved but still grieving. His widow, Lerato, said, “We are thankful that justice has been served, but no sentence can bring Sam back. He was a father, a leader, and a visionary. He died because someone could not accept losing.”
The three men will serve their sentences at Rooigrond Correctional Centre.