Student’s suspected killer was out on parole
Another girlfriend killed 8 years ago
A man who allegedly killed his college student girlfriend was out on parole for killing his other girlfriend in the same manner eight years ago.
Just 27 days after he tasted freedom following his release on parole, Ronnie Kgatla, 31, from Mokgolobotho village, outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, apparently committed suicide. He is alleged to be the killer of Kgaogelo Shai, 20, a Letaba TVET student.
Shai’s family said she and Kgatla only dated for two weeks.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said Kgatla was released on parole last month after he was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for murder.
“Kgatla was on parole for a murder of his girlfriend Mpho Shikwambana, which took place on April 3 2012 at Mokgolobotho village.
“He was released on parole on August 3 and it appeared he used the same modus operandi in killing his victims by strangling them to death.”
Mojapelo said Kgatla was sentenced in 2013.
Women and Men against Child Abuse advocacy manager Luke Lamprecht has accused correctional services of failing Shai and her family.
“The killing of Shai is a sign that Kgatla was not fully rehabilitated but the state felt he was fit to be [re]integrated into society,” Lamprecht said.
“His release speaks to a lack of monitoring and unfortunately it led to another death.”
Lamprecht said Kgatla’s actions were those of a person who didn’t show remorse as he killed another woman who was intimate with him.
Department of correctional services (DCS) spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Kgatla was released after he had served the minimum required time and was considered for parole.
“He was not part of the parole dispensation related to Covid-19 announced by the president [Cyril Ramaphosa]. His offence disqualified him, hence he was placed out on the normal parole system.
“Parole conditions are between DCS and the parolee and we never make these public.” Nxumalo said the parole dispensation only benefits lowrisk inmates.
Shai, a first-year office administration student, was last seen with Kgatla.
Shai’s sister Pelma said Shai rented a room in Mokgolobotho and told her she was dating someone and it had been two weeks.
“I have never met him. I visited Kgaogelo on August 28 and the following day she left, saying she will be back soon. She came back but left again, saying she was going to meet a friend somewhere.”
Pelma said when she tried to call Shai, her phone was off and she left Mokgolobotho.
She said the next day she took a taxi back to look for her sister but did not find her.
“We then reported the matter to the police and a few days later we became more worried as police told us that Kgatla committed suicide.
“We knew something was wrong hence we pleaded with the public to assist us,” Pelma said.
Shai’s body was found in the village on Monday.
“When we went to the scene, we found that her body is partly decomposed and we only recognised her through the clothes she was wearing.”