Fugitive Lesotho suspect accused of cannibalism nabbed by SAPS Interpol and Tracking Team in KZN

Media Statement from the Office of the National Commissioner

South African Police Service

25 April 2014

PRETORIA - After months of investigations and surveillance, a crack SAPS tracking team managed to arrest a fugitive from justice from Lesotho who escaped from prison while awaiting trial on two counts of murder.

During January 2012, a 13 year old youth disappeared in the district of Berea in Lesotho. The villagers found limbs, a torso and a head which were positively identified as that of the missing lad. No arrests were made.

In July 2012 another person went missing from the same village.

On 12 July 2012, police responded to a tip-off and at the house discovered a Corsa bakkie in which two human arms, a leg, penis and testicles were found. These belonged to the second missing person, Kamohelo Mohata, 22 years of age.

The suspect, 27 year old Makhele Lehlohonolo Joseph Scott, voluntarily pointed out a hacksaw and a box inside the house, placed over a huge bloodstain on the floor, and confessed to the murders. He also confessed to having cooked and eaten some of the body parts. He further pointed out a shallow grave where a torso and thigh were found. On 13 July 2012, Scott took the police to a primary school where he pointed out a human head, two feet, lungs, heart and intestines in one of the toilet pits.

Scott was arrested and charged and the matter was set before the High Court but he managed to escape from Maseru Central Prison on 13 October 2012.

A warrant of arrest was issued and an application was made to Interpol in Pretoria for assistance in the suspect’s apprehension as there was a strong possibility that he had fled to South Africa. The relevant documentation was forwarded to the KwaZulu-Natal head of Detective Services who, on 16 July 2013, tasked the KZN SAPS Provincial Tracking Team to locate and arrest the suspect.

After months of liaison between Lesotho and South African Police, with the assistance of Interpol South Africa and the use of various innovative techniques, the Tracking Team arrested their man on 7 April 2014 at a church in Amaoti, Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal. Scott was living on the church premises and playing in the church band. He was very surprised when approached by SAPS members and arrested.

Scott made a court appearance yesterday, Thursday 24 April 2014 to make a bail application, which was denied. The case was remanded to 15 May 2014.

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Riah Phiyega, praised all SAPS members involved in tracing and apprehending this suspected murderer and apparently self-confessed cannibal. “The tenacity of the SAPS Tracking Team in exploring all avenues in order to trace their suspect is to be lauded. It is important for us to work closely with our neighbours in order to ensure that justice is served and that criminals are not given safe refuge in our country,” said General Phiyega.

Cops nab church-going cannibal after 18-month manhunt

By Nokuthula Manyathi - CityPress.co.za

25 April 2014

A man accused of hacking and eating two people in Lesotho has been captured by the South African Police Services (SAPS) after 18 months of pursuit.

“After months of liaison between Lesotho and South African police, with the assistance of Interpol South Africa and the use of various innovative techniques, the tracking team arrested their man on 7 April 2014 at a church in Amaoti, Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal,” the SAPS said today.

Makhele Lehlohonolo Joseph Scott (27) was arrested in July 2012 after police received a tip-off connecting him to the disappearance a 13-year-old boy in Berea, Lesotho.

The boy disappeared in January 2012 but his limbs, torso and head were later found by villagers. When police searched Scott’s home, they found a bakkie containing two human arms, a leg, a penis and testicles.

Some of these body parts were later identified as belonging to Kamohelo Mohata (22), who had also disappeared.

Following his arrest, Scott confessed to the murders – also adding that he had cooked and eaten parts of his victims.

He then took the police to a shallow grave where they found a torso and a thigh. Later, Scott led police to a local primary school where a human head, two feet, lungs, a heart and intestines were found in one of the pit latrines.

Scott was subsequently charged on two counts of murder. The matter was set to appear in the high court but he escaped from Maseru Central Prison in October 2012 before his court appearance.

“A warrant of arrest was issued and an application was made to Interpol in Pretoria for assistance to apprehend the suspect as there was a strong possibility that he had fled to South Africa,” said the SAPS.

Thanks to collaborative work between the KZN SAPS provincial tracking team and Interpol South Africa, Scott was captured while singing and playing music in a church band.

“He was very surprised when he was approached by SAPS members and arrested,” said the police. Scott had been living on the church premises.

“The tenacity of the SAPS tracking team in exploring all avenues to trace their suspect is to be lauded. It is important for us to work closely with our neighbours to ensure that justice is served and that criminals are not given safe refuge in our country,” said National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega.

Scott is set to appear in court on May 15 and will remain in police custody until his court date.

  

Makhele Lehlohonolo Joseph Scott, 27.