Johannes van Rooyen and Dumisani Makhubela

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Johannes van Rooyen and Dumisani Makhubela
Refer to caption
Van Rooyen (left) and Makhubela in 2007
Bornvan Rooyen: 1979 or 1980 (age 43–44)
Makhubela: 1978 or 1979 (age 44–45)
Conviction(s)Murder (x7)
Rape (x6)
8 other crimes
Criminal penalty445 years imprisonment
Details
Victims7
Span of crimes
May – June 2005
CountrySouth Africa
State(s)Mpumalanga
Date apprehended
7 June 2005

Johannes van Rooyen (born 1979–1980) and Dumisani Makhubela (born 1978–1979) are a pair of South African serial killers,[note 1] rapists, and mass murderers who murdered seven people in Mhluzi over the autumn and winter of 2005. Although most infamous for murdering a family of four, they also killed a woman and a young couple, all in the Mpumalanga province. They were arrested soon after their final two murders and each sentenced to 445 years imprisonment.

Murders[edit]

On 23 May 2005, the two invaded the Middelburg house of Mutebu family because they falsely believed the family had won the lottery.[3] Upon entering the residence, they used wires to bound the hands and feet of Vusi Motebu, 33; his wife, Thuli Mathebula, 30; and their daughters, eight-year-old Nhlanhla and seven-year-old Koketso.[4] The pair then forced the couple and Koketso to watch them take turns raping Nhlanhla on the bed in an attempt to make them give up their nonexistent lottery winnings. They also raped Mathebula.[5] Afterwards, van Rooyen and Makhubela fatally stabbed Nhlanhla in the neck on the bed. On the floor beside her, they strangled her sister to death. In the kitchen, they stabbed the father in his chest and fatally strangled or hanged him. Finally, they hanged Thuli from the rafters of her living room with an electric cable. They then ransacked the home, stealing a hi-fi, DVD player, a handbag, jewelry, and framed photos. The only survivor of the attack was the parents' toddler-age son, who was asleep at the time of the murders. He spent four days in the house before a neighbour discovered the boy and the bodies.[6]

On 28 May 2005, the pair fatally strangled Nomakhosi Msombuka, a 21-year-old woman who was alone at her boyfriend's house.[3][7]

While walking in a veld on 4 June 2005, the two happened upon 15-year-old Portia Motau and her boyfriend, 16-year-old Hlopi Mahlangu. They proceeded to rape Motau before bludgeoning them both to death with rocks. They then stole both victims' clothing and fled the scene.[8] The victims' bodies were found shortly afterward, and the two were linked to the murders by fingerprints and DNA.[9] Makhubela was arrested hours after the discovery along with two others, who were later proven innocent. Van Rooyen remained at large until December 2005, when police tracked him down to a brick factory in Ogies, where he was employed as a labourer.[10] They were connected to the murders of Msombuka and the Mutebu family after the victims' clothes were found in their possession.[3]

Summary[edit]

Name Age Sex Date Cause of death
Nhlanhla Mutebu 8 F 23 May 2005 Stabbed in the neck
Thuli Mathebula[note 2] 30 F Hanged
Vusi Motebu 33 M Stabbed in the chest and strangled or hanged
Koketso Mutebu 7 F Strangled
Nomakhosi Masombuka 21 F 28 May 2005 Strangled
Portia Motau 15 F 4 June 2005 Stoned
Hlopi Mahlangu 16 M Stoned

Arrest, conviction, and sentencing[edit]

Van Rooyen and Makhubela were charged with 24 crimes, including seven counts of murder, six counts of rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking, and possession of an unlicensed firearm. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.[5] On 24 January 2006, forensic psychologist Gérard Labuschagne interviewed van Rooyen and Makhubela. Although both confessed to the murders, they tried to depict the other as the dominant partner. Labuschagne quickly concluded that van Rooyen was the "leader" of the two.[7]

At their two-year-long trial, they were found guilty of 21 charges on 2 October 2007, but acquitted on two counts of raping a minor and one count of possession of unlicensed ammunition.[4] Both were sentenced to 445 years imprisonment.[5]

Wrongful arrests[edit]

Makhubela was initially arrested along with two other men. One of the men was allegedly forced to confess under torture, and the other under duress. This led to the men being charged with the murders and being held in prison without bail for nine months. However, they were released on 10 February 2006 after the director of public prosecutions refused to prosecute the pair.[9]

In April 2019, the police minister was ordered to pay the two a combined R340,000 after a lawsuit. One received R190,000, and R150,000 went to the other man's estate, as he had died before the lawsuit was filed. The men were only awarded damages for two weeks' detention, as the Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the police were not liable for damages post the bail stage.[9]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Although they were active for shorter amount of time than what is typical of serial killers, academic sources refer to them as serial killers rather than spree killers.[1][2]
  2. ^ Also known as Nokuthula Florence

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hickey, Eric W. (2015). Serial murderers and their victims (7th, illustrated ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning. p. 408. ISBN 9781305261693.
  2. ^ Chan, Heng Choon; Adjorlolo, Samuel, eds. (2021). Crime, Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System in Africa: A Psycho-Criminological Perspective. Springer Nature. p. 129. ISBN 9783030710248.
  3. ^ a b c "Family killing, stoning linked". News24. 9 June 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Two faced 21 murder and rape charges". Sowetan Live. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Men sentenced to 445 years each". News24. 13 October 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  6. ^ "'Lotto' gang in court". News24. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b Labuschagne, Gérard (2020). "The Quarry Murder Series". The Profiler Diaries: From the case files of a police psychologist. South Africa: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9781776095834. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2023.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ Sapa (7 June 2005). "Man in court after teen stoned to death". IOL. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Nkosi, Bongani (3 November 2020). "Wrongfully arrested men head to ConCourt to seek R1.5m in damages". IOL. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  10. ^ Hlatshwayo, Riot (3 December 2005). "Last gangster in lotto murder case arrested". City press. Retrieved 17 March 2023 – via News24.
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