Staff Reporter
The Department of Correctional Services (DSC) says it is still considering the case of suspended Goedemoed Correctional Centre warder Mojalefa Letele who was acquitted of murder charges earlier this year and wants his job back.
Letele, 50, was acquitted by the Free State High Court in April after standing trial on allegations of plotting with an inmate the murder of female colleague Nomsa Stuurman in March 2019.
Acting National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale told The Free Stater during a media briefing at the Kroonstad Training College on Friday that the DCS is presently seized with the matter and could not divulge much on it.
“The matter is going through the legal processes, so, as a department, we will not be able to provide details at the moment,” said Thobakgale.
“I will not get into those details, but as soon as we finalise the legal processes, we will be able to give further details,” he added.
Thobakgale could not be drawn into saying when the matter was likely to be finalised or the prospects of Letele returning to work.
Letele was linked to Stuurman’s murder by convicted rapist and murderer Jongikhaya Samsam.
In the matter which unfolded like a prison drama gone wrong, Samsam claimed Letele promised him R100 000 and a pair of sneakers to “remove” certain people, including Stuurman.
Samsam, who was already serving two life sentences for rape and attempted murder, also told court that Letele promised him legal representation should the need arise after executing the dastardly mission.
But on the fateful day, Samsam went overboard and raped a female warder who was in the same section of the prison when he attacked Stuurman in her office with a hammer and stabbed her to death with a broken scissors.
Samsam claimed the weapons had been strategically placed by Letele so he could use them to attack Stuurman, a claim which Letele denied.
Samsam then took the other female official hostage, threatening her with the broken scissors.
During a hostage negotiation with the police, Samsam requested time to pray, but instead took his hostage to a back office and raped her before surrendering.
Samsam was handed a further two life sentences by the Free State High Court in October 2019 after he was found guilty of killing Stuurman and raping the other female warder.
The court was however not satisfied that the state had proven its case against Letele beyond reasonable doubt.
It ruled that Samsam had tried to falsely incriminate Letele in the murder plot.
The court said the state failed to place Letele anywhere close to the murder plot because Samsam’s evidence did not have detail on Letele’s involvement.
Letele was eventually acquitted of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The families of the victims have also launched a R70-million civil lawsuit against the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola for damages following the murder and rape incidents.
Stuurman’s widower, Nyanisile, is demanding R40-million while the rape survivor is pursuing a R20-million claim.
Stuurman’s estate has a further claim of R10-million.