01/09/2025
KGAOGELO AND IKAGENG
TWO WOMEN, ONE MONSTER, AND A SYSTEM THAT FAILED THEM
Mabopane Daily News
Hammanskraal – The tragic death of Kgaogelo Marota (26 August 2005 – 21 August 2025) and the near-death escape of Ikageng Kgadile, both victims of the same man, has thrown a harsh spotlight on South Africa’s broken fight against gender-based violence.
Behind this story is not only a violent man known as Lito or Ngwenya — but also a justice system that failed to protect.
Both Kgaogelo and Ikageng had endured months of abuse at the hands of Lito. He was controlling, violent, and deeply intimidating.
Ikageng, his current girlfriend, told reporters that from the start of their relationship in November, she was trapped by fear. Lito constantly hit her, threatened her life, and told her she could never leave him. “He always said, you will never get away from me. If you try, I will kill you,” she recalled.
Kgaogelo, meanwhile, had already taken out a protection order against him. But even that did not keep him away — he often harassed her family, showed up at her home armed with a gun, and continued to terrorize her openly.
On Wednesday, 21 August 2025, Kgaogelo went to a local tavern known as Dubai in Hammanskraal.
That same night, fearing for her safety, she reportedly called the police twice, begging for intervention. Officers arrived — but instead of arresting Lito, who was in clear violation of the protection order, they simply searched him and left.
Hours later, in full view of bystanders, Lito allegedly stabbed Kgaogelo multiple times outside the tavern. Terrified community members did not intervene — eyewitnesses claim he was also holding a gun.
Kgaogelo died at the age of 19, just five days before her 20th birthday.
After the killing, Lito rushed home, where Ikageng was asleep. She described how he shook her awake around 1 a.m., breathing heavily, and confessed to killing Kgaogelo.
At first, she thought it was a lie. Then Lito pulled out his phone and showed her a video of the murder.
Moments later, he turned on her.
“He said, because you love me, you must also die tonight,” Ikageng said. He then took out a cable, tied it to the ceiling, and ordered her to put her head through the noose and climb a chair. Once the rope was around her neck, he kicked the chair away.
But the cable snapped. Ikageng fell to the ground.
Lito then pulled out a knife and tried to stab her. A bloody struggle followed before he stopped, ordering her to follow him as he attempted to flee.
Bleeding and terrified, Ikageng managed to escape. She was stitched at hospital and later discharged to her family for safety.
Both young women saw the monster coming. Both tried to resist, warn others, and survive.
Kgaogelo called the police on the night of her murder — but their failure to act cost her life.
Ikageng barely escaped with hers.
Lito’s reign of terror was no secret. He was known as a gangster, armed and feared in the area. He violated protection orders openly, undermined the law, and threatened families with his gun.
The Hammanskraal community is devastated, asking how many more women must die before justice is taken seriously.
“This was preventable,” one resident said. “The police had two chances that night to arrest him. Instead, they walked away. Now one girl is dead, and another will never forget what she survived.”
🕊️ Kgaogelo Marota was laid to rest on 31 August 2025 at Kanana Graveyard. She will be remembered as a joyful young woman, full of life, whose story must now fuel the fight against gender-based violence.
