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Murder of Masego Kgomo

A South African girl, Masego Kgomo, was killed in Soshanguve at the end of 2009, with her body parts taken for use in rituals performed by a sangoma; a man was later convicted of her murder and kidnapping.

SOLVED2009

Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Masego Kgomo, born around 1999, was a South African girl who went missing near her home in Soshanguve, a township north of Pretoria, on 31 December 2009. She was murdered so that her body parts could be used to provide material for rituals performed by a sangoma (a traditional healer/diviner). Her killing generated public calls for sangomas to stop the practice of using human flesh in rituals.

In the aftermath of her disappearance, five people were initially charged in connection with her kidnapping and murder. Police were led to the location of Kgomo's body in Soshanguve in the early hours of 9 January 2010 after a suspect provided information.

The case proceeded through the Pretoria High Court, where Judge Billy Mothle presided. On 28 November 2011, the court found Brian Mangwale, aged 30 at the time, guilty of Kgomo's murder and kidnapping. Mangwale was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder charge and a further six years imprisonment for the kidnapping charge.

The case drew attention in South Africa to so-called "muti killings," in which body parts are taken for use in traditional medicine or ritual practices, and Kgomo's death was cited in public discourse urging an end to such practices involving children.

Key facts

Victims
Masego Kgomo
Date
2009
Location
Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2009-12-31

    Masego Kgomo goes missing near her home in Soshanguve, a township north of Pretoria.

  2. 2010-01-09

    A suspect leads police to Kgomo's body in Soshanguve in the early hours of the morning.

  3. 2011-11-28

    Judge Billy Mothle finds Brian Mangwale guilty of Kgomo's murder and kidnapping in the Pretoria High Court; Mangwale is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and six years for kidnapping.

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People

  • Brian Mangwale

    CONVICTED

    Found guilty of Masego Kgomo's murder and kidnapping by Judge Billy Mothle in the Pretoria High Court on 28 November 2011; sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and six years for kidnapping.

  • Masego Kgomo

    VICTIM

    South African girl killed in Soshanguve at the end of 2009; her body parts were reportedly taken for use in rituals performed by a sangoma.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa

-25.5304, 28.1122

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A South African girl, Masego Kgomo, was killed in Soshanguve at the end of 2009, with her body parts taken for use in rituals performed by a sangoma; a man was later convicted of her murder and kidnapping.
Where did the murder happen?
Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa.
Who was convicted?
Brian Mangwale (Found guilty of Masego Kgomo's murder and kidnapping by Judge Billy Mothle in the Pretoria High Court on 28 November 2011; sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and six years for kidnapping.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in South Africa

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Masego KgomoWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — iol.co.zaiol.co.za · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — timeslive.co.zatimeslive.co.za · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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