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ROT IN JAIL: Members of the ANC Women's League celebrate outside the Bloemfontein High Court after serial killer Thabang Mohorosi was sentenced to six life terms. Photo: Ntwaagae Seleka

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SERIAL killer and rapist Thabang John Mohorosi was labelled "a man who had hatred against women" in the Bloemfontein High Court.

Mohorosi, 31, was convicted and sentenced to six life terms by Judge Neil Snellenberg. He was convicted of going on a killing spree between May 2010 and April 2011 in Mangaung, Free State.

He killed four women including 15-year-old school girl Palesa Thakho.

Mohorosi was acquitted on a charge of raping one of his victims. He is a married father of three children - a boy aged nine and two girls aged four years and four months respectively.

Mohorosi, who only has a Standard 6, told the court that he was a breadwinner who looked after his family and a younger sister.

He was a self-trained IT specialist and a motor vehicle mechanic who also fixed cellphones.

Three police officers testified that when they arrested Mohorosi on May 20 last year, they found a number of cellphones in his house, including one which belonged to one of his victims, Mantoa Mohapi.

Mohorosi was arrested after police had tracked him down through Mohapi's cellphone. The cellphone was being used by Mohorosi's wife who claimed it was gift from him.

After his arrest, Mohorosi confessed to police that he was responsible for the murders. Detectives testified that Mohorosi had "opened up his chest".

Detectives told the court that Mohorosi cooperated with them and was never assaulted nor threatened. The court, the judge said, never heard of any assault or torture by police on him to confess.

But Mohorosi claimed he did not voluntarily point out crime scenes and was forced to make a confession before Magistrate Riana Botha - which he did three days after his arrest.

Mohorosi claimed police fooled him into making a confession so he could be released on bail.

"I love my family very much. I pointed out the scenes which were earlier showed to me because I wanted to go home to my family," Mohorosi said.

But, police detectives and Botha testified that Mohorosi told them that he was confessing because he wanted to "clear his heart".

Snellenberg did not buy Mohorosi's story and said he had volunteered to cooperate with the police.

The decomposed bodies of Palesa Thakho, Mantoa Mohapi and an unidentified woman were found half naked in Phase 6, Mangaung.

Mohorosi's fourth victim, Xoliswa Lalape's badly decomposed body was found in Uitsig in Bloemfontein. Police claim he took them to the crime scene.

"Women and children have a right to go anywhere any time in this country, without fear of people like you. Our children have the right to walk to school and home without fear.

"You treated women as objects. You did not show any respect towards them. You had no right to rape and kill them. Your crimes have angered society and you deserve to be sent to jail for a long time," Snellenberg lambasted Mohorosi while sentencing him. - ntwagaes@sowetan.co.za

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Sat May 25 06:28:56 SAST 2013 ::

May 23, 2012

Papage

six life term in SA 5 star hotel prison heh! how much are we going to spent on this guy?
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May 23, 2012

shaharazad

Papage, dont dispair, his life is over immediately he hits the prison gate. Prisoners hate a man who hate and hurt women and children. His life is going to be a living hell, unless he is put in segregation
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May 23, 2012

beautiful4

death penalty!!! can solve all this daily bread stories!!nxa
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May 24, 2012

TONE

Mr president must seriously consider hanging such evil creature. I bet you u will hardly hear about these murder cases. i wonder how South African would feel if they were to swop presidents with Botswana just for 6months.
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