A 43-year-old man from Lulekani has been condemned to spend the rest of his life behind bars after the Polokwane Division of the High Court found him guilty of a brutal 12-year crime spree targeting women across the province.
Moses Mushe Shilabi was handed four life sentences and an additional 70 years and six months in prison on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
Between July 2012 and December 2024, Shilabi terrorized female victims aged 23 to 54 across the Lulekani, Phalaborwa, and Hoedspruit policing areas. He was convicted on 14 charges, which included rape, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, common robbery, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, sexual assault, and assault GBH.
During the trial, the court detailed Shilabi’s predatory modus operandi. Driving a white VW Polo, he posed as a helpful driver, offering rides to women seeking transport in the Phalaborwa precinct. Instead of taking them to their destinations, he diverted to isolated, bushy locations where he kidnapped, assaulted, and raped them.
The Phalaborwa Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit took over the investigations. Crucial forensic DNA analysis ultimately tied Shilabi to the attacks, providing the breakthrough needed to secure the convictions. Acting on this evidence, police tracked and arrested him on April 6, 2024, at his workplace in the Leboeng policing area of the Sekhukhune District.
Investigating officer Sergeant Luphondo Mkansi successfully kept the accused in custody, opposing his bail all the way through to the sentencing. Furthermore, investigations uncovered that Shilabi is a repeat offender, having previously completed a 15-year prison sentence for rape at the Thohoyandou Correctional Services facility.
Delivering justice on June 4, 2026, the High Court outlined the specific sentences for each of the 14 charges:
Count 1: Housebreaking with intent to steal and theft – 5 years imprisonment.
Count 2: Common robbery – 7 years imprisonment.
Count 3: Rape – Life imprisonment.
Count 4: Kidnapping – 2 years imprisonment.
Count 5: Common robbery – 7 years imprisonment.
Count 6: Assault GBH – 6 months imprisonment.
Count 7: Sexual assault – 5 years imprisonment.
Count 8: Kidnapping – 2 years imprisonment.
Count 9: Robbery with aggravating circumstances – 20 years imprisonment.
Count 10: Rape – Life imprisonment.
Count 11: Kidnapping – 2 years imprisonment.
Count 12: Rape – Life imprisonment.
Count 13: Rape – Life imprisonment.
Count 14: Robbery with aggravating circumstances – 20 years imprisonment.