How murderer who ‘never thought he’d be arrested’ after 15 years on the run was finally caught

A Free State murderer who “never thought he’d be arrested” and had settled down with his new family was finally brought to book thanks to one detective’s refusal to back down more than a decade after the heinous crime.

Thapelo Samuel Mokoena was last month finally sentenced to double life terms in prison after being on the run from police for more than 15 years.

Mokoena, 41, from Makwane village in QwaQwa, was initially arrested with his four cousins in 2004 for the murder of Johanna van Niekerk, 79, and her garden employee Tololo Tsholo, 43, at Dankbaarheid farm in Bethlehem, according to Free State police spokesperson Thandi Mbambo.

Van Niekerk was tied up and her throat was slashed, while Tsholo was strangled to death after being hit with a hammer.

The five also attacked two domestic workers, one of whom was shot in the hip.

Mokoena and his co-accused had planned a robbery at the farm based on a tip-off from Shuping Mosia, who worked there at the time.

Mokoena escaped from police custody in July 2005 while his accomplices — Shuping, Richard Mosia, Jack Mosia and Joseph Makau — were found guilty and sentenced.

More than 15 years later and thanks to the relentless efforts of Detective Warrant Officer Nkosana Radebe, Mokoena was finally brought to book and began serving his lengthy jail term with his accomplices.

Radebe recalled the painstaking journey to apprehend the fugitive after the docket was reopened in 2020 and he joined a renewed manhunt for Mokoena.

The docket had been closed in 2005 after attempts to trace Mokoena bore no fruit and he was listed as one of the 50 most wanted suspects nationally and top 30 in the Free State.

The determined officer said the matter was reopened in the hopes there would be fresh leads this time around.

“I had hope I would find something, that the enquiries I had made about Thapelo, I’ll come right with them. After the docket was reopened, I traced his residential [home] in QwaQwa and found his brother, who gave me his ID number,” he said.

With this in hand, Radebe’s search became much easier as he managed to get a  Carletonville address and cellphone number based on a car registered under Mokoena’s name at the traffic department.

Radebe visited the location, but to his disappointment was told there was no such person residing there by a woman who turned out to be the fugitive’s sister.

With the address an apparent dead end, Radebe turned his attention to the cellphone number, using it to find another address linked to Mokoena.

“I called an officer I was working with on the case. I gave him all the particulars I had and he started assisting me.

“He found Mokoena was working at Hlanganani mine.”

After gathering more detailed information on Mokoena’s whereabouts on the day of the planned arrest, Radebe and his colleagues at Bethlehem police station drove to Gauteng to make the arrest. 

Radebe recalled Mokoena’s reaction when officers finally pounced on him outside his workplace, where he had been duped into meeting them.

“I identified myself and explained the reason for his arrest. He knew exactly which case it was and that he was wanted. He didn’t try to deny.

“He was scared and surprised. He thought he would never be arrested considering the time since he escaped.”

Despite the fugitive’s attempts to bribe the officers, they arrested him before heading to his house to perform a search. Mokoena was living with his then-pregnant wife and two children. 

Radebe shared his excitement when Mokoena was finally jailed. He was sentenced to two life terms for the murders and 10 years each for two attempted murders. The sentences will run concurrently and he will serve two life terms.

“I was so excited to see  justice has been done. The family of the deceased knew there was one guy still at large. I’m sure they thought, when will this guy come and strike again?” he said.

“The message this case sends is that you can run but you can’t hide. You will be caught one day. There’s no place to hide while you’re still alive — only maybe when you are dead.”

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