By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Proceedings in the brutal murder case against Tshepang “Hammer Killer” Mapiloko (36) descended into confusion when his matter could not proceed at the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 January 2026, due to the unexplained absence of the police docket.
Mapiloko, from Phuthaditjhaba, made his first court 8appearance of the year expecting to learn whether his Schedule 6 murder case would be transferred to the High Court.
Instead, the hearing was postponed after the docket was not presented in court.
The court was meant to receive a decision from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), following correspondence from the State, on whether the matter should be escalated. However, no progress could be made, as neither the docket nor the investigating officer was available.
No clear explanation was provided regarding the whereabouts of the docket.
Mapiloko appeared calm in court, dressed in the same grey jacket he has worn since his arrest, his head clean-shaven.
He has been in custody since his arrest on 8 October 2025 for the brutal murder of his uncle, Frank Letlala (75), and has been denied bail. The State has previously indicated that investigations were complete.
“Because of the seriousness of the matter, it needs to be heard by the High Court, but we are awaiting the DPP’s decision,” the State prosecutor previously told the court.
Letlala was discovered lying motionless on the floor of his home in a pool of blood. Blood was splattered on the walls, and his head appeared to have been repeatedly struck with a hard object. A hammer was found next to the body.
Exhibits already submitted to court include Mapiloko’s sworn affidavit, marked Exhibit A, and a jointly signed petition by relatives and community members opposing his release on bail, marked Exhibit B.
Family spokesperson Morwesi Posholi said the family wants Mapiloko to remain behind bars and face a severe sentence.
“We wish for him to be sentenced harshly and to spend the rest of his life in jail. It is very painful because he is part of our family, yet he took the life of our uncle,” Posholi said.
During bail proceedings, the court found that Mapiloko failed to present exceptional circumstances warranting his release.
Investigating officer Sergeant Teboho Rasenyalo opposed bail, testifying that relatives of the accused had approached him expressing fear for their lives should Mapiloko be released.
“They told me they are scared of him and fear he may do the same to them,” Rasenyalo testified, adding that he was also concerned about the safety of witnesses known to the accused.
The matter was postponed to 23 January 2026, when the court hopes the docket will be available and the DPP’s decision formally presented.
