Double life for Pampierstad braai fork killer

The Taung Regional Court has sentenced 23-year-old Thapelo Modise to two life terms for the murders of a grandmother and a toddler in Pampierstad.

According to a statement by the Northern Cape SAPS, the sentence was welcomed as it ensures Modise’s permanent removal from society.

The crimes took place on May 23, 2023, when Modise entered his neighbour’s home. He fatally attacked three-year-old Oratile Loeto with a braai fork before turning on the child’s mother, grandmother, and a visiting neighbour, stabbing them and locking them in a bedroom. He then set the room alight and fled.

A relative managed to break through a security gate and rescue his 71-year-old mother and 21-year-old sister-in-law. However, 74-year-old neighbour Kgomotso Gladys Kalabatane, who had been visiting at the time, did not survive the blaze.

The surviving victims were admitted to hospital with serious stab and burn injuries.

Modise was arrested shortly after the incident, and bail was opposed. The Taung Regional Court handed down the following sentences:

• Charge 1: Murder – Life Imprisonment
• Charge 2: Murder – Life Imprisonment
• Charge 3: Attempted Murder – 5 Years’ Imprisonment

Frances Baard District Commissioner Major General Charlotte Makgari praised Detective Sergeant James Seimelo for his meticulous investigative work. “Gender-Based Violence and Femicide cannot be tolerated in our communities.

Brutal killers such as Thapelo Modise must be permanently removed from society to ensure safety and security for women, children, and other vulnerable groups,” Major General Makgari said.