Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego Sentenced to Four Life Terms Each for Gauteng Murders
The Pretoria High Court has sentenced Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune, 37, from Mpumalanga, and former White River police official Jacob Mothibe Chego, 41, to four life sentences each for the premeditated murders and conspiracy to murder Lucky Mogashoa and his wife, Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa. The Gauteng Division of the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that the sentencing followed a case involving the killing of the couple in March 2022 after they were lured under the false pretence that a previously stolen vehicle had been recovered.
The case has drawn particular attention because two young children were present when their parents were forced from their vehicle, while one of the victims, Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa, was six months pregnant. The State told the court that the crime had caused lasting emotional, psychological and financial consequences for the surviving children and other family members.
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What Happened to Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa in Etwatwa, Gauteng
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the events that led to the murder of Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa began with a telephone call concerning a vehicle that had been reported stolen several years earlier.
On 16 March 2022, Lucky Mogashoa reportedly received a call from Jacob Mothibe Chego, who at the time was employed as a police official attached to the White River Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit, also known as the VCIU.
Chego allegedly informed Mogashoa that his vehicle, which had been reported stolen in 2018, had been recovered and was being kept at the White River police vehicle impound.
The following day, Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune allegedly contacted Mogashoa while posing as a police officer. Nkune told him that he would travel to the family’s residence in Roodepoort to collect documents linked to the recovered vehicle.
Nkune subsequently arrived at the residence and was given the necessary documentation. Arrangements were then made for Lucky Mogashoa to collect the vehicle from the impound on 19 March 2022.
On that day, Lucky Mogashoa, his wife Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa and their two young children travelled to Benoni. Their children were aged one and eight at the time.
According to the case details presented by the NPA, the family picked up Nkune at a petrol station before travelling in the direction of the White River vehicle impound.
However, the journey did not lead to the recovery of the stolen vehicle.
The prosecution told the court that while they were travelling, Nkune instructed Mogashoa at gunpoint to stop the vehicle at an open veld in Etwatwa, Gauteng.
The couple were ordered to leave the vehicle while their two children remained inside.
The court heard that Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa were then taken away from the vehicle and killed. Their children remained in the vehicle during the attack.
Afterwards, Nkune returned to the vehicle and drove away with the children before abandoning them in another nearby area, according to the prosecution.
The eight-year-old child then took the younger sibling and went in search of help. The children were assisted by a woman while walking along the N12 highway and were taken to a nearby police station, where the incident was reported.
The Gauteng murder case details later became part of the evidence presented against Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego in the Pretoria High Court.
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Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego Arrest and Investigation Details
The investigation into the murder of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa led police and prosecutors to Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune, who was arrested while already in custody in connection with another murder case.
The NPA said Nkune was serving a life sentence for the murder of two women in a separate case when he was arrested in connection with the Mogashoa murders.
Jacob Mothibe Chego and his co-accused, Elvis Press Makhubela, who has since died, later handed themselves over to police.
According to the NPA, Chego and Makhubela surrendered at Springs police station on 16 April 2024. They were arrested and later released on bail.
Both Nkune and Chego pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied involvement in the crimes.
The State, however, presented evidence which prosecutors said established their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
State Prosecutor Advocate Tholoana Sekhonyana presented testimony from the eight-year-old child who survived the incident, as well as evidence from an associate of Nkune.
The Pretoria High Court found that the State witnesses were credible and reliable. Their evidence was also found to have been supported by objective evidence presented during the trial.
The court concluded that Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego had jointly planned and carried out the crimes.
Their convictions included two counts of premeditated murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
The case has also raised serious concerns about the abuse of public trust, given that Chego had previously served as a police official attached to the White River Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit.
Prosecutors argued that the victims were allegedly deceived through information connected to a police vehicle investigation and the supposed recovery of a stolen car.
This is not the first serious criminal case in which South Africans have been warned about criminals allegedly impersonating police officers or exploiting information connected to official investigations. Readers can find more crime and court cases from Gauteng and across South Africa on our website.
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Pretoria High Court Sentences Nkune and Chego to Four Life Terms Each
The Pretoria High Court imposed four life sentences on each of the two convicted men.
Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego each received two life sentences for the premeditated murders of Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa.
They were also each sentenced to two further life terms for two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
In addition to the life sentences, Nkune and Chego were sentenced to five years each on four counts of kidnapping.
They also received five years each for fraud and five years each for defeating the ends of justice.
Nkune received additional sentences of 15 years each for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently with the sentences of life imprisonment.
Both Nkune and Chego were also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The sentencing means that the Pretoria High Court found no basis to depart from the prescribed minimum sentences applicable to the serious crimes for which the two men were convicted.
During sentencing proceedings, the defence asked the court to consider deviating from the prescribed minimum sentences.
The two men argued through their legal representative that they had minor children.
However, Advocate Sekhonyana argued on behalf of the State that neither man had demonstrated remorse for the crimes.
The prosecution further highlighted the circumstances surrounding the murder of the couple and the impact on their children and families.
The court ultimately agreed with the State’s argument that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances that justified a departure from the prescribed minimum sentences.
The NPA welcomed the outcome, describing it as an important example of accountability in cases involving violent crime and individuals who abuse positions of trust.
Latest Update on the Nkune and Chego Murder Case and Appeal Application
Following the sentencing, Jacob Mothibe Chego attempted to challenge both his conviction and sentence.
According to the NPA, Chego, through his legal representative, applied for leave to appeal against his conviction and sentence.
He also applied to be released on bail while awaiting the process of petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Both applications were opposed by the National Prosecuting Authority.
The NPA said the prosecution successfully opposed Chego’s application for leave to appeal and his application for bail pending the proposed petition process.
The latest update means that the sentence imposed by the Pretoria High Court remains a major development in the case involving Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and former White River police official Jacob Mothibe Chego.
The sentencing proceedings also heard victim impact statements facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Lebogang Lebese.
One of the surviving children expressed how the loss of the parents had affected school performance, with the child reporting that grades had declined following the incident.
The families of the victims also described the psychological, physical and financial consequences they had experienced.
The case details presented in court illustrated the long-term consequences that violent crime can have on surviving children and extended families.
The NPA said the convictions and sentences reflect its commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of violent crimes are held accountable, including people who occupy or previously occupied positions of public trust.
The prosecution has emphasised that the murder case involved planning, deception and the exploitation of trust before the deaths of Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Zwane Mogashoa.
For families following major criminal cases, court proceedings can take years before reaching the sentencing stage. The Nkune and Chego case is a reminder of the importance of witness testimony, investigations and the work of prosecutors in bringing serious matters before the courts.
Read more similar court cases, murder investigations and crime updates on our website as new developments emerge.
The sentencing of Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune and Jacob Mothibe Chego brings a significant court outcome in the murders of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, although the consequences of the crime continue to be felt by the surviving children and families. Follow our latest crime and court updates for further developments and related stories from Gauteng and across South Africa.
