Moses Sithole: South Africa's Worst Serial Killer

It is not known when Sithole took his first rape victim, but his first recorded rape occurred in September 1987, involving 29-year-old Patricia Khumalo, who later testified at his 1996 trial. Three other known rape victims came forward, including Buyiswa Doris Swakamisa, who was attacked in February 1989. She reported the assault to police, leading to Sithole's arrest and trial. He was sentenced to six years in Boksburg Prison in 1989 for the rape of Swakamisa. Sithole maintained his innocence throughout the trial and was released early in 1993 for good behaviour.

Perhaps Sithole learned from his imprisonment that leaving rape victims alive could have consequences. It is unknown how soon after his release he began his rape and killing spree, but between January and April 1995, in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, the bodies of four young black women were discovered. They had been strangled and were believed to have been raped. This began a series of events that uncovered a horrific pattern of violence and death.

When newspapers noticed similarities in the methods used to kill each victim, police were forced to acknowledge that a serial killer might be operating in the area. The discovery of the body of the 2-year-old son of one of the victims attracted further media attention, but in a society accustomed to violence, public interest was relatively short-lived.

Over the following months, more bodies were discovered around Pretoria, all showing the same disturbing pattern: victims had been raped, tied up, and strangled with their own underwear. The public began to take notice. On 17 July 1995, a witness saw Sithole acting suspiciously while with a young woman and discovered her body after investigating. Unfortunately, the witness had been too far away to identify the killer.

A special investigation team was created within the Pretoria Murder and Robbery Unit to determine whether the bodies were connected. However, the variations in the attacks made it impossible to confirm that a single killer was responsible. As more victims were identified and investigators examined the timeline of deaths rather than when bodies were discovered, evidence suggested that the killer was changing his methods to inflict greater suffering. His approach also became clearer: in many cases, victims had met someone who promised them employment.

On 16 September 1995, a body was discovered at the Van Dyk Mine near Boksburg. Further investigation uncovered mass graves, and forensic experts recovered ten bodies in various stages of decomposition over the following 48 hours. Investigators concluded that the Boksburg victims were connected to those found in Atteridgeville. Media coverage of the recovery operation was intense, and President Nelson Mandela visited the scene.

Public concern grew as media coverage continued, leading local authorities to seek assistance from retired FBI profiler Robert Ressler, who arrived on 23 September 1995. He helped develop a profile of the serial killer, describing an intelligent and organised individual with a high sex drive, increasing confidence, and possibly operating with the assistance of another person.

While profiling was underway, investigations at the crime scenes revealed that one victim, Amelia Rapodile, had last been seen before meeting a man named Moses Sithole on 7 September. A job application form was discovered offering her a position, and when a second victim was found to have a similar connection to Sithole, police became confident they had identified a likely suspect.

Police were unable to locate Sithole, who continued his killing spree despite the manhunt and media attention. The body of Agnes Mbuli was discovered near Benoni on 3 October 1995.

On the same day, a man claiming to be the serial killer called The Star newspaper. Because he appeared to possess information unknown to the public, police believed it was likely Sithole. An attempt to arrange a meeting with him failed, and three more bodies were discovered over the following ten days, forcing police to release Sithole's details to the media.

With the manhunt now public, Sithole attempted to seek help from family members, but undercover police intercepted him on 18 October 1995. Refusing to surrender peacefully, he was shot in the leg and stomach by a police officer. He was hospitalised, underwent surgery, and was transferred to the secure Military Hospital in Pretoria, where he admitted to numerous killings during interviews with detectives.

Sithole denied ever having an accomplice and believed that some murders had been committed by “copycats” using his methods. A police claim that he had waived his right to an attorney while confessing was later disputed in court.

On 23 October 1995, five days after his arrest, Moses Sithole was charged with 29 murders at the magistrates' court in Brakpan.

On 3 November 1995, he was transferred to Boksburg Prison, where he had previously served his rape sentence, to await trial. During this period, press reports stated that he was HIV positive.

By the time Sithole’s trial began on 21 October 1996, the evidence had increased the total charges against him to 38 counts of murder, 40 counts of rape, and 6 counts of robbery. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Building a chronological picture of his crimes, the prosecution presented harrowing testimony from his earliest rape victims, detailing their experiences at the hands of Sithole before his first rape conviction. This was followed by a detailed examination of his links to each murdered victim, including testimony about the alleged job offers and the methods used to lure victims to their deaths. Sithole remained calm and composed throughout the proceedings.

On 3 December 1996, the prosecution introduced a video recorded during Sithole’s initial incarceration, in which he openly admitted to 29 murders. He described his methods in detail but claimed he only began killing in July 1995, selecting victims who resembled Buyiswa Doris Swakamisa, the rape victim he blamed for his first imprisonment.

The legality of admitting the video, which had been illegally recorded in a jail cell, delayed the trial until 29 January 1997. Technical issues surrounding the recording and Sithole’s original confession caused further delays until 29 July 1997, when the judge ruled that the evidence was admissible.

The prosecution concluded its case on 15 August 1997. The defence relied largely on Sithole’s denial of involvement in the killings when he testified, but his statements were often rambling and incoherent.

On 4 December 1997, more than a year after the trial began, Moses Sithole was found guilty on all charges. Reading the verdict took three hours, causing sentencing to be postponed until the following day.

The next morning, the judge stated that, due to the abhorrent nature of the crimes, he would have had no hesitation in imposing the death penalty. However, because capital punishment had been declared unconstitutional in South Africa in 1995, Sithole was sentenced to 2,410 years in prison, with no possibility of parole for at least 930 years. The sentence was intended to keep Sithole imprisoned for the remainder of his life.

Sithole was incarcerated at the maximum-security section of Pretoria Central Prison, the highest security cellblock in South Africa, known as C-Max. Ironically, the medical treatment for his HIV condition in prison far exceeds any treatment available to the average South African citizen, and may well secure him a far longer life, albeit in prison.