Mahikeng-based anti-crime activist and traditional healer Thato Molosankwe has been shot dead at his home in Lomanyaneng village in the North West in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Acting National Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has ordered maximum police resources to be deployed to track down those responsible. The Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit has taken over the investigation.
Mahikeng-based anti-crime activist and traditional healer Thato Molosankwe was shot dead at his home in Lomanyaneng village near Mahikeng in the North West province in the early hours of Wednesday 20 May 2026. Unknown assailants attacked Molosankwe at his residence, shooting him multiple times. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene. No arrests have been made. A manhunt is underway.
The killing has sent shockwaves through the North West community and drawn an immediate and strong response from the highest levels of the South African Police Service. Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane personally condemned the murder and ordered the deployment of maximum police resources to hunt down those responsible.
Who Was Thato Molosankwe
Thato Molosankwe, also known as Senganga, was one of Mahikeng’s most recognisable and outspoken public figures. A traditional healer by profession, he dedicated significant portions of his life to social and anti-crime activism, becoming a vocal and consistent voice against crime, corruption and the social ills plaguing the North West’s capital city.
Molosankwe’s activism was deeply rooted in his emotional connection to Mahikeng, a city he watched decline over years of neglect, poor governance and rising crime. He held numerous protests against social ills in the city, took up residence at the derelict Credo Mutwa Cultural Village to draw attention to its decay, and in one of his most symbolic acts completed a ten-year walk across Africa to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
He had built a close and trusted working relationship with local law enforcement structures, regularly assisting police efforts to fight crime and corruption and to strengthen relations between SAPS and the communities of Mahikeng. North West police spokesperson Colonel Adel Myburgh confirmed this relationship in a statement on Wednesday. “Mr Molosankwe has been described by local police as a community-minded individual who played an important role in assisting police efforts aimed at fighting crime and corruption as well as strengthening relations between the SAPS and communities,” Myburgh said.
The Attack
According to police, unknown assailants accosted Molosankwe at his residence in Lomanyaneng village in the early hours of Wednesday morning and opened fire. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene. The crime scene remained active for several hours after the attack as forensic and investigative teams processed the evidence.
North West police spokesperson Captain Majang Skalkie confirmed the incident to media shortly after the attack. “The police confirmed the incident. The crime scene is still active,” Skalkie said, adding that a full media statement would be issued once investigators had completed their work at the scene.
No motive has been officially established at the time of publication. The circumstances of the killing, described by multiple media outlets as an assassination-style attack, are expected to come under close scrutiny as investigators piece together the events that led up to the shooting. Given Molosankwe’s history of outspoken activism against crime and alleged corruption, the question of whether his work brought him into conflict with dangerous interests will be a central focus of the investigation.
Acting Commissioner Orders Maximum Resources
Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane responded to the killing with a directness and urgency that underlined the gravity of the case. Dimpane personally directed North West Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Ryno Naidoo to ensure maximum resources were deployed to track down Molosankwe’s killers.
SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the Acting Commissioner’s response. “Lieutenant General Dimpane has strongly condemned the brutal murder and assured the community that no stone will be left unturned until those responsible are found and brought to book,” Mathe said.
The Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit has taken over the investigation from local police, a standard escalation for high-profile or politically sensitive murders in the province.
A Pattern That Cannot Be Ignored
Molosankwe’s murder raises urgent and uncomfortable questions about the safety of community activists, whistleblowers and anti-crime campaigners in South Africa. It comes at a moment when the country is already grappling with multiple high-profile cases of individuals facing intimidation, threats and violence allegedly as a consequence of their efforts to expose wrongdoing and hold powerful interests accountable.
The killing of community activists who work closely with law enforcement and speak out against crime and corruption is not a new phenomenon in South Africa. But each such murder represents a chilling message to others who might consider speaking up — a message that South Africa’s law enforcement community has a responsibility to answer decisively and publicly.
Anyone with information about the murder of Thato Molosankwe is urged to contact the South African Police Service on Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or to submit information anonymously through the MySAPS App.
Editors Note This is a developing story. No arrests had been made and no motive had been officially established at the time of publication. Mzansi Today Live will update this article as further information becomes available.