Man found guilty of raping, killing woman whose body was found in maintenance shaft

The man accused of raping and murdering a woman before hiding her body in a maintenance shaft in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries building in Tshwane in 2017 has been found guilty in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

The accused, who can now be identified as Piet Mabotja, 35, pleaded guilty to nine charges, including one count of murder and two of rape when he appeared in the High Court sitting in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Mabotja’s plea, which was accepted by the State, also shed light on the crimes he committed before being arrested in November 2018.

A security guard discovered the decomposing body of Nomathamsanqa Regina Majola, 28, during the department’s Christmas break on December 28, 2017. She had worked as a contracted cleaner for the department.

According to the charge sheet, Mabotja lured Majola to the seventh floor of the Sefala building where he raped and murdered her before hiding her body in a maintenance shaft.

The cause of death was never determined as Majola’s body was too decomposed by the time she was discovered.

However, in his plea statement, Mabotja, who was also a contracted cleaner in the building, revealed he strangled Majola to death after raping her on December 21, 2017.

After luring her to a secluded area, Mabotja said he grabbed Majola by the neck and told her he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.

“She refused and I then grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall until she gave up fighting,” Mabotja said in his plea statement.

“I then pushed her to the floor, loosened her belt, unzipped her trousers and pulled them to her knees and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.”

He then intentionally strangled her until she died.

“I killed her because I was overwhelmed by the fear of her pressing charges of rape against me. I had no right to kill her and I further know that my actions are wrong and punishable by law.”

Mabotja took Majola’s cellphone and bank card before dropping her down a maintenance shaft to hide and dispose of her body.

He admitted to using the bank card to withdraw R4,000 from Majola’s bank account and used the card again to pay for groceries that he bought at the Waltloo Meat and Chicken store near Mamelodi.

While on the run, Mabotja admitted to raping another woman near Stanza Bopape clinic in Mamelodi on September 24, 2018.

According to the charge sheet, the victim was walking with her boyfriend when Mabotja and two other men accosted them.

The victim’s boyfriend was struck on the head with the butt of a firearm several times before being robbed of his belongings.

“The aggravating circumstance is that I assaulted him and threatened him with a firearm. I admit that I acted in common purpose with the other two [suspects] when robbing the complainant of his property,” Mabotja said.

At this point, Mabotja said he then forced the victim to a secluded place and ordered her to undress and lie on the ground.

“I then had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. After raping her, I instructed her to walk straight home or else I will shoot her.”

Mabotja, who was a parolee when committing these crimes, ended his plea statement by apologising and begging for forgiveness for his actions.

“I am truly sorry for taking the deceased’s life [and] the pain that I caused her family.”

Mabotja was previously found guilty of murder and attempted rape in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2007, but only served about eight years before being released on parole in November 2015.

Acting judge Peet Johnson accepted the plea and officially found Mabotja guilty of two counts of rape, one of murder, two of robbery with aggravating circumstances, obstructing the administration of justice, theft and the possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Mabotja is expected to be sentenced on Wednesday.

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