Fake lawyer served 15 years for murder

The parolee who was recently arrested for allegedly masquerading as a lawyer had been sent to prison for fatally stabbing his university girlfriend at the  campus where they were both students, then went on the run for five years before being arrested.

Sowetan has been able to establish that Teboho Johannes Motse murdered the woman at the University of Fort Hare residence 20 years ago.

Motse, who is expected to appear in court tomorrow for allegedly impersonating a lawyer, was a law student at Fort Hare in 2004 when he stabbed his girlfriend.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Lt-Col Siphokazi Mawisa said police opened a murder case at Alice police station after being summoned to the university, where a victim had been fatally stabbed.

“According to reports, it is alleged the deceased, Mpolile Masilo, was stabbed t by Motse while in a hostel at the university. The suspect fled, and a warrant of arrest was issued on 5 April 2004. He was arrested on June 24 2009 and appeared in court.”

He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on August 19 2010.

A source who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity said he attended the same university as Motse.

“I was there during that time but I was staying outside varsity, not in the residences. What I know is the victim was his girlfriend. He stabbed her and fled. He was a student from Lesotho,” the source said.

Motse was placed on parole and allegedly rebranded himself as a lawyer until his arrest on November 6. He was charged with uttering, forgery and contravention of the Legal Practice Act.

North West National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Sive Gunye said allegations are that Motse forged documents, presenting himself as an attorney, and represented clients.

“He allegedly did this knowing he is not an admitted attorney. It was discovered Motse uttered his certificate of admission as an attorney.”

Sowetan has not been able to establish whether Motse completed his studies, but the publication understands he has won an attempted murder case for a client.

Another case he won dates back to 2019 when he laid a complaint with the public protector on behalf of the community of Swartkopfontein in the North West.

The community was accusing the North West department of mineral resources and energy of failing to ensure Manganese Minerals delivered on its 2011 social responsibility promises agreed to  before being given mining rights in the area.

One thing the mining company had undertaken to do was to improve the infrastructure at Zakhaleni Intermediate School.

In her March 2024 findings, public protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka said: “For the period 2011 to 2016, the department of minerals and energy  North West region, failed to ensure Manganese Minerals submits its SLP annual reports and to deliver on their social report of the public protector 49 responsibility, in this instance the school infrastructure improvement project.”

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