• Tweet

FROM PILLAR TO POST: Winnie Mogaki, of Protea Glen in Soweto, whose daughter Nompumelelo was killed and left in the boot of her car in 2009, talks to Sowetan about how the justice system has failed her family. PHOTO: MABUTI KALI

STRANGLED LIFELESS BODY: Nompumelelo Mogaki

 One of the many issues the case has faced is the murder of investigating officer Major Moses Segapo, who was also the lead investigator of the Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye case 

RELATED ARTICLES

• Slain - after miners kept her underground as a sex slave
• Double life sentence for Lotter boyfriend
• Traditional healer's words end in criminal act
• Boy, 13, faces murder trial amid protests
• Girlfriend's body found in shallow backyard grave
• Raping the rape victims
• UJ student dies after alleged abortion

Winnie Mogaki has worked tirelessly to fight for justice since her 23-year-old daughter, Nompumelelo Mogaki, was found murdered and stuffed in the boot of her car on the morning of September 30 2009.

"My daughter was always responsible. She always let me know if she would be out or late back home, which was not often," Winnie Mogaki says.

Nompumelelo had gone to work and told her mother she wanted to go to a shopping mall in Jabulani, Soweto, and then visit some relatives afterwards, after having promised to be back by early evening.

She did not return home that night and her cellphone was off. Concerned, Mogaki decided to go to work the next morning and wait to call her daughter's work number later in the morning.

Nompumelelo, who was affectionately known as Mpumi, had not arrived at work by 8.15am, which was unusual for her, says her mother. "I told my boss what was happening and he told me to go report her missing at Protea Glen police station," she says.

She called her daughter's vehicle tracking company to see if they could track the location of the car. The tracking company found the car parked in the driveway of a house in Protea Glen, where the Mogaki family home is also situated.

"When they told me that they found the car at a house in Protea Glen, I got excited, thinking she was home and I had nothing to worry about. I asked for the address but they gave me the address of a house that I don't know in Protea Glen."

She and a friend immediately rushed to the house.

When they arrived at the address, they found the navy blue BMW parked in the driveway.

The car was locked and they could see Mpumi's sunglasses and purse in the vehicle. Mogaki went to fetch the spare keys at home so they could open the car.

When they opened the car they made a gruesome discovery.

Mogaki says she collapsed after discovering her daughter's lifeless body in the boot.

"I kept calling her name, hoping she would wake up and I thought she was drugged and asked someone if they could throw some water on her face so it could wake her," she says.

There was no evidence of any sexual assault and the only signs of injury were strangulation marks on Mpumi's neck.

Mogaki says a neighbour told her he saw someone park the car at that house very early that morning before he jumped into another car and drove off.

This happened almost four years ago, yet the case has not been expedited even though a suspect - Mpumi's ex-boyfriend - was arrested for her murder.

Since 2009, Mogaki has been to the Protea Magistrate's Court and the Johannesburg High Court many times. The suspect was denied bail by the Protea Magistrate's Court and then the matter was taken to the high court, where he was granted bail.

The case has been postponed numerous times since then and was eventually withdrawn from the high court on February 29.

"We had to withdraw charges against the accused because our crucial witness turned against us and another was shot, leaving us with no prospects of a successful prosecution," says National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga.

One of the many issues the case has faced is the murder of investigating officer Major Moses Segapo, who was also the lead investigator of the Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye case.

"The justice system is failing us," Mogaki says.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Sat May 18 16:13:50 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 20, 2012

maneater

i cannot imagine the pain you had to go through mama. i pray that God gives you strength. as for the Justice system i am still waiting for my fathers murderes to be brought to book that was in 2001, and there were witnesses!!!
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

MommaC

My heart goes out to her. Not having any closure is just ripping her heart out every day. The justice system has serious flaws which seem to be designed to victimise the victims instead of protecting them..... and then the cops don't understand when vigilante violence occurs.
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

Papage

Protea Glen, My beloved Township, what had you become of, Really bad things are happening in you. Where are the Pastors there, people seem not to go to Church on sundays, they seem to forget that God gave them those houses, they seem to have no Love for each other. Aids, Drugs and Alcohol are the biggest enemies of the people there. Police and Soldiers, this is your place, keep it clean and safe for your children to be proud of. Mama, your daughter has slept well in her grave, her spirit will leave forever, and the killer will be troubled for the rest of his/her life.
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

Ann

it so sad to lose a loved one like that, i pray u get closure mama
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

JUBJUB

Its been long Mama and you are still in pain
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

BaleliM

What a sad story and how sad that the justice system is failing the South African people.
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

MGEEZ

This is terrible and the worse part of it is that it appears that lawlessness is on the increase in this beloved country of ours. This is another evidence that in RSA we are not equal before the law!!! All it takes is few days sometimes hours to resolve certain murder cases; why is this one any different???? I feel for this family and I hope they find closure soon; this is not nice at all!!!
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

Tsek

Ann &juby - im sure ebusiko ko gae le fela le lora ka sowetan neh....
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

maMqwathi

Phephisa mama,our country's justice may fail you,but God will surely avenge
Report Abuse

Mar 20, 2012

Jaja'sQueen

Very strange that she says she had to withdraw charges against the accused? Why did she have to lay a charge against him and on what grounds?
Report Abuse

Read all 157 comments