The ABC Killer

Moses Sithole, the worst serial killer in South Africa hunted, raped and murdered 38 young women from the towns of Atteridgeville to Boksburg to Cleveland. Sithole became known as the ABC Killer and his heinous crime spree lasted only a year. The perfect predator, he took full advantage of the cultural changes that came with the end of Apartheid. The ABC Killer preyed on his victims' needs to support their families, offering them jobs through a company that didn’t exist.

Moses Sithole was born in Vosloorus, a poor township near Boksburg on 17 November 1964. Growing up during Apartheid, life was hard for the Sithole family, oppression and violence were apart of everyday life. When Moses was only 5 years old his father died, and his mother unable to cope abandoned the family - Moses and his siblings were taken to an orphanage. At the age of 8, he tried to return to his mother by running away from the orphanage. Unfortunately, it was not a happy reunion for the 8-year-old, as his mother immediately returned him to the orphanage.

“Hurt has been my daily bread. Hurt has been my prayer. Every minute, every second, every day, every week, every month and every year” - Moses Sithole.

At the age of 11, Moses was moved to another youth home in KwaZulu/Natal, an apartheid-designated homeland. When he reached his early teens, Moses ran away again, this time hitchhiking 300 miles to the home of his older brother, Patrick. From then on he was employed in numerous menial jobs. As early as his teens, his warped perception and hatred of women were evident. Despite appearing a mild-mannered and charming man, Sithole was quick to anger, particularly if he perceived the slightest hint of rejection from a woman. Any sense of rejection could trigger a violent outburst. In 1987 he committed his first sexual assault. Sithole convinced his girlfriend’s sister to take a walk with him, once they were out of sight and where no one could hear them Sithole attacked her. Fearing for her life the girlfriend’s sister never reported the rape.

By 1989 Sithole raped his third victim, Buyiswa Swakamisa threatening her with a panga, a South African machete. Buyiswa Swakamisa did not report the attack until 3 months later when she saw him again, standing outside her new workplace. Sithole was arrested and sentenced to 6 years in Boksburg Prison. During his imprisonment, Sithole met a young woman named Martha, and they began corresponding. When he was released 3 years early for good behavior, Sithole went to live with Martha and her family in Pretoria.

It is not known how soon after his release that Sithole began his crime spree of rape and murder. Between January and April 1995, in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria the bodies of 4 young women were found strangled and raped. Over the next few months, several more bodies were discovered sharing the same gruesome pattern. It was obvious to the police that they were dealing with a serial killer and a special investigation team was established in the Pretoria Murder and Robbery Unit. As time passed Sithole’s methods evolved from rape and murder to more torturous methods that extracted greater pain and suffering from his victims for his own disturbing pleasure.

In September 1995 a police reservist was hunting rabbits in a veldt near Boksburg when he smelt decomposition and stumbled upon a mass grave. Forensic experts who were called into the site discovered and extracted a total of 10 female victims each within various degrees of decomposition. The investigators were certain that these victims were connected to the victims in Atteridgeville. With such a horrific find, President Nelson Mandela made a personal visit to the mass grave and publically appealed to the community for any information on who the perpetrator might be. South Africa's first profiler, Micki Pistorius, was assigned to the case. Pistorius invited retired FBI profiler Robert Ressler to check the evidence and revise her profile. The profile suggested the killer was intelligent, well organized with a high sex drive and a growing sense of confidence. Ressler spent a week in South Africa and largely supported the conclusions of Pistorius, including her prediction that the killer would contact the media.

Amelia Rapodile, victim 26 was last seen on the 17th of September, and it was reported to police that she had a job interview with a man. The investigators were able to locate the job application, which provided Sithole’s name. When the investigators learned the details of Sithole’s previous rape conviction they were sure they had their prime suspect. Unfortunately, Sithole remained elusive and continues his killing spree, unfazed by the manhunt and media attention. Perhaps even emboldened by it, as he rang The Star newspaper on October on three occasions. He gave his name as “Joseph Magwena”, claiming that he was the man they were looking for. Sithole provided a lengthy interview insisting that he was not responsible for the deaths of two-year-old Sibusiso Ndlangamandla and his mother, and claimed that he loved children. Sithole also stated that he hated women because he had been imprisoned after one falsely accused him of rape. To confirm the person on the other end of the line was the serial killer, the interview asked for Sithole to provide proof. Sithole ended up providing details of two bodies that had not been located. One victim had been deceased for some time and was found in a field with a sheet of metal covering her body, the second victim was much more recent and she was located hanging in a tree.

By now the police had discovered that all the victims had gone missing after being offered a job by a man. The investigators checked a number that the women had called before their disappearance, the number belonged to Sithole’s sister. With this information and the information gathered from Sithole’s phone call to the newspaper, the police announced that Moses Sithole was the killer and released his image to the media.

Moses Sithole was arrested 18th October 1995. He had contacted his brother-in-law, wanting to get a gun to protect himself. His brother-in-law agreed and arranged to meet Sithole at a factory in Benoni to give him the gun. After the call, he immediately contacted the police, and a sting operation was organized to capture Sithole. A police officer was replaced as the security guard at the front gate when Sithole arrived he became uneasy and attempted to flee. The police officer took chase. Sithole was armed with an ax and took a swing at the police officer, in response the officer fired his gun hitting Sithole in the leg and stomach. Sithole was eventually charged with 38 murders, 40 rapes, and 6 robberies. The judge sentenced him to a total of 2,410 years without parole for 930 years. The judge also stated that had capital punishment not been abolished, he would have been sentenced to death. Moses Sithole, The ABC Killer is currently incarcerated in C-Max, the maximum security section of Pretoria Central Prison.