A Pretoria court convicted Rassie Nkuna and former police officer Jacob Chego in the killings of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, with sentencing still to follow in the reviewed record.
The Crime
The court convicted both defendants in the murders of the married couple.
Reporting said former officer Chego was accused of using his position and records in conduct tied to the victims and their vehicle.
Nkuna is involved in other prosecutions and prior convictions, which are separate from this judgment.
| Crime Location | Gauteng, South Africa; prosecution in the Pretoria High Court |
|---|---|
| Date and Time | Murders in March 2022; convictions June 22, 2026 |
| Investigating Agency | South African Police Service and Pretoria High Court prosecutors |
| Suspect or Defendant | Rassie Hlabirwa Nkuna and former police officer Jacob Mothibe Chego |
| Age | Not consistently reported in the reviewed sources |
| Charges / Legal Posture | Two counts of murder; Kidnapping; Conspiracy to commit murder; Defeating the ends of justice and related fraud allegations |
| Bond or Custody | Both defendants were already in custody at the conviction stage. |
| Conviction | The Pretoria High Court found Nkuna and Chego guilty in the killings of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa. |
| Sentence | Sentencing was expected in later proceedings; no final sentence in this case was located in the reviewed sources through August 7. |
| Current Outcome | A Pretoria court convicted Rassie Nkuna and former police officer Jacob Chego in the killings of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, with sentencing still to follow in the reviewed record. |
| Victim | Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, who was pregnant |
Crime Location
The public case is associated with Gauteng, South Africa; prosecution in the Pretoria High Court. Location matters because it identifies the investigating authority, court system and rules that govern the proceeding. This article does not publish private residential details or unnecessary identifying information merely because a source happened to include them.
Scene evidence can include photographs, video, shell casings, blood or biological material, vehicle paths, entry and exit points, emergency-response records and measurements. The importance of any item depends on the facts the government or investigators are trying to establish and on whether the evidence is reliable and admissible.
Date and Time
The relevant reported period is Murders in March 2022; convictions June 22, 2026. Dates are stated at the level of precision supported by the public record. When a source gives only a day or approximate time, this report does not manufacture a more exact timestamp.
Procedural dates can matter just as much as the date of the alleged crime. Arrests, charging decisions, bond hearings, preliminary hearings, pleas, verdicts, sentencing and appeals can change the legally correct description of the case. The most recent verified stage therefore controls the outcome section above.
Police Department and Investigating Agencies
The principal agencies identified in the reviewed material are South African Police Service and Pretoria High Court prosecutors. Different agencies can have different roles: patrol officers secure a scene, detectives investigate, forensic specialists test evidence, prosecutors make charging decisions, and courts issue rulings.
Multi-agency investigations require careful documentation of evidence transfers and statements. A report from one institution is not treated as though every agency independently reached the same conclusion. Where the case remains pending, official allegations are attributed and the defendant retains the presumption of innocence.
Suspect or Defendant Name and Age
The publicly identified subject for this record is Rassie Hlabirwa Nkuna and former police officer Jacob Mothibe Chego. The available age information is Not consistently reported in the reviewed sources. Identifying information is limited when a person is a juvenile, when a victim is protected by law, or when a detail does not help readers understand the case.
A person can be accurately identified as arrested, charged, convicted, sentenced, deceased, or named by investigators without using labels that imply more than the record establishes. This article follows the status supported by the latest cited material rather than treating a dramatic accusation as a permanent description of the person.
Charges and Legal Posture
The reported charges or legal posture are: Two counts of murder; Kidnapping; Conspiracy to commit murder; Defeating the ends of justice and related fraud allegations. Each count or investigative conclusion has its own legal or factual requirements. Similar-sounding charges may require different proof concerning identity, intent, injury, causation, possession, participation or the relationship between the accused person and the alleged victim.
Charge lists can change as a case develops. Prosecutors may amend, dismiss, sever or add counts, a judge may rule that some counts cannot proceed, and a plea can narrow the issues. Future updates should replace obsolete charging language rather than stacking contradictory versions into the same article.
Bond Amount or Custody Status
Both defendants were already in custody at the conviction stage.
Conviction and Sentence
The Pretoria High Court found Nkuna and Chego guilty in the killings of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa.
Sentencing was expected in later proceedings; no final sentence in this case was located in the reviewed sources through August 7.
A conviction can result from a guilty plea or a verdict after trial. A preliminary-hearing order to stand trial is not a conviction. An investigative identification after a suspect has died also is not a conviction. When a sentence has actually been imposed, this article reports that term instead of substituting a statutory maximum or prediction.
Evidence and Allegations
The court considered the prosecution’s theory of common purpose, kidnapping and the handling of the victims’ vehicle.
The conviction means the factual issues on the adjudicated counts moved beyond allegation, while sentencing remained separate.
Digital material requires the same caution. Phone data, messages, social-media posts, camera footage, vehicle records and account information can help establish chronology or contact between people, but the government still must connect a record to a person and explain its significance. A lead described in a police report is not automatically proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chronology
- March 2022: Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa were killed.
- May 2026: closing arguments were reported.
- June 22, 2026: the Pretoria High Court returned guilty findings.
This chronology is intentionally limited to events supported by the reviewed record. Later verified proceedings should be added in order so readers can distinguish the original incident from later court or investigative action.
Victim Information
The victim information necessary to understand this case is: Lucky Mogashoa and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, who was pregnant. The article avoids publishing private addresses, unnecessary medical details or identifying information for protected victims simply because it may exist elsewhere online.
Crime reporting can acknowledge serious harm without using that harm as a shortcut around proof. In a pending case, the accused remains entitled to due process. In an adjudicated case, the article identifies the plea, verdict or sentence that changed the legal status.
Court Status and Current Outcome
The next meaningful update may be an amended charge, bond ruling, indictment, preliminary hearing, plea, trial ruling, verdict, dismissal, sentencing, appeal or official investigative finding. A later development should be incorporated into the existing case record when it belongs to the same prosecution, rather than creating a competing duplicate post.
Sources
- www.timeslive.co.za: case-specific source
- www.timeslive.co.za: case-specific source
- www.sowetan.co.za: case-specific source
Disclaimer: This article summarizes official statements, court information and case-specific reporting reviewed through August 7, 2026. Charges and police allegations remain allegations unless a valid plea or court judgment establishes guilt. Later records may correct or expand the information reported here.
