One of the most terrifying and brutal prisons in the world and the most secure facility in the Russian Prison System, Black Dolphin holds only the most dangerous prisoners in Russia and is known as Russia’s ADX Florence equivalent, today we take a look at the top 15 Most Dangerous Prisoners in Russia’s notorious Black Dolphin Prison.
15 – Richard Nyauza
Responsible for the murders of 16 women between 2002 and 2006, South African Serial Killer Nyauza’s crimes occurred in and around the Rossway Quarry near Olievenhoutbosch, Pretoria.
Nyauza’s series of murders began in January 2002, with the discovery of five women’s bodies near the Riet River outside Olievenhoutbosch.
These initial cases remained unsolved for several years. After a brief incarceration for an attempted rape in 2002, from which he was acquitted in 2005, Nyauza resumed his killing spree.
Between January and September 2006, he murdered 11 more women with his modus operandi involved luring victims with promises of employment, leading them to secluded areas, and then assaulting and murdering them.
A significant breakthrough occurred in September 2006 when DNA evidence linked Nyauza to the crimes.
He was arrested after being found in possession of items belonging to his victims and during his trial, which began in October 2007, Nyauza displayed a lack of remorse, even laughing at testimonies from survivors.
Despite pleading not guilty, he was convicted on multiple charges, including 16 counts of murder, four counts of rape, and three counts of robbery with the Pretoria High Court sentenced him to 16 life terms plus an additional 140 years in prison.
14 – Cedric Maake
Responsible for a string of brutal murders committed between 1996 and 1997, Maake has been nicknamed the “Wemmer Pan Killer,” after he terrorized Johannesburg, targeting men, women, and even children.
His varied methods and victim profiles made him one of the most unpredictable and elusive serial killers in South African history leaving over 27 people dead.
Unlike many serial killers who follow a distinct pattern, Maake’s crimes were notably diverse with his victims including women, street vendors, factory workers, and even men who happened to cross his path.
He used a range of weapons, including rocks, firearms, and blunt objects, and his attacks often involved extreme violence, and strangulation.
Maake’s killing spree was linked to two distinct crime patterns, which initially confused investigators.
One set of murders occurred near Wemmer Pan, an area in southern Johannesburg, where victims—mostly women—were raped and strangled.
The second set of crimes involved attacks on men and business owners, often using a firearm. These different patterns led police to believe they were dealing with multiple killers.
Arrested in 1997 after a crucial breakthrough in the case, his former girlfriend recognized his handwriting on a victim’s receipt, which linked him to the crime and forensic evidence and eyewitness testimony further confirmed his involvement.
In 2000, Maake was convicted of 27 murders, 14 rapes, and other violent crimes and he received multiple life sentences, plus 1159 years and 3 months imprisonment ensuring he would never be released.
13 – Louis Van Schoor
Notorious for his brutal murders committed during the 1980s and 1990s, his killing spree primarily targeted women, and he was known for the shocking violence with which he carried out his crimes.
Van Schoor’s modus operandi typically involved kidnapping his victims, subjecting them to physical abuse, and then killing them with his preferred method of murder was strangulation.
Van Schoor’s crimes remained undetected for years, with authorities initially unable to link the murders due to the randomness of his attacks.
However, his pattern of targeting women in isolated areas eventually led investigators to focus their efforts on him and his arrest came in 1994 after forensic evidence connected him to several of the murders.
Van Schoor was convicted of multiple murders, rapes, and other violent crimes and his trial revealed the horrifying details of his actions, shedding light on the terror he instilled in his victims and the public.
Eventually earning the nickname “The Apartheid Killer”, it is believed that the total number of his victims was 39 and he died from sepsis to his leg on the 25th July 2024, at the age of 72.
12 – Baninzi, Asande
Operating primarily in the Cape Flats region, Baninzi’s actions left a profound impact on the local community and drew significant attention nationwide.
In May 2001, Baninzi met Mthutuzeli Nombewu, known as “Wox,” a gangster with whom he formed a partnership rooted in a shared addiction to Mandrax, a sedative drug.
To fund their drug habit, the duo embarked on a spree involving car hijackings, robberies, and, notably, a series of murders.
Baninzi later claimed that Wox was primarily responsible for the killings, with Baninzi beingcomplicit.
Over a span of approximately three months, Baninzi and Wox targeted individuals and couples, often ambushing them during hijackings.
The criminal activities ceased following the death of Baninzi’s accomplice, Wox, who committed suicide in September 2001 when police cornered him in Gugulethu.
Baninzi was arrested in 2002, and during his trial, he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including 14 murders, 15 kidnappings, and four rapes.
In May 2004, he was sentenced to 19 life terms plus an additional 189 years in prison.
11 – Velaphi Ndlangamandladla
Known as the Saloon Killer after the type of gun he used, between April and September 1998, he murdered 19 people in Mpumalanga province using a stolen .22 Anschütz rifle, colloquially referred to as a “saloon.”
Not much is publicly known about Ndlangamandla’s early life and his killing spree began in April 1998 after he stole the “saloon” rifle, along with other firearms and valuables, from a victim named Jacobus Christoffel van Schalkwyk.
A dedicated police task force, led by Commander Izak van Zyl, was established to apprehend the killer.
On September 10, 1998, Ndlangamandla was arrested in Phoswa Village near Piet Retief and he faced numerous charges, including 19 counts of murder, nine of attempted murder, six of robbery, and several others.
In September 2000, Ndlangamandla was convicted on all charges and sentenced to 137 years in prison.
10 – Sipho Thwala
Known as the “Phoenix Strangler,” serial killer and rapist Thwala was convicted in 1999 for the murders of 16 women and 10 rapes.
Thwala’s modus operandi involved luring women under the pretense of offering employment as domestic workers in nearby hotels.
He would lead them into the sugarcane fields of Mount Edgecombe near Phoenix, where he would strangle them using their own undergarments.
To destroy evidence, he often set the cane fields ablaze after committing the murders which often set the police investigation back until a body was eventually discovered.
Although he had been arrested and aquitted of a rape charge in 1999, DNA evidence eventually linked him to the murders and he was arrested in 1997.
In March 1999, Thwala was convicted of 16 murders and 10 rapes. He was sentenced to 506 years in prison without the possibility of parole and he remains incarcerated at the C Max Penitentiary in Pretoria, South Africa.
9 – Jack Mogale
Known as the “West-End Serial Killer,” between 2008 and 2009, Mogale committed a series of heinous crimes in the Gauteng province, primarily near his residences in Westonaria and Lenasia, south of Johannesburg.
Mogale’s criminal activities were characterized by extreme violence and a disturbing modus operandi, with assaults often involved physical brutality, including beatings with bricks and stones, and in some cases, strangulation.
One survivor recounted that Mogale, posing as a preacher from the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), lured her under the pretense of offering spiritual assistance, only to attack her.
The breakthrough in Mogale’s case came after he attacked a 19-year-old woman in March 2009.
Claiming to be a prophet, he offered her a ride but instead drove her to a secluded area, assaulted her, and left her unconscious.
Upon regaining consciousness, the victim reported the incident, providing crucial details that led investigators to link the attack to a series of similar crimes in the area.
In February 2011, following a trial at the Johannesburg High Court, Mogale was convicted on 52 of 61 charges, including 16 murders, 19 rapes, and 9 kidnappings.
Mogale was sentenced to 16 life terms in prison, plus an additional 23 years, effectively ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
8 – Jimmy Maketta
South African serial killer and rapist known as the “Jesus Killer,” between April and December 2005, Maketta terrorized the farming community near Philippi, Cape Town, committing a series of brutal crimes that left the region in fear.
In 2003, he was arrested for an assault, serving 18 months in prison before being released on parole.
Maketta’s crime spree spanned nine months in 2005, during which he targeted farm laborers in the Philippi area, observing his victims from a hilltop, he would select intoxicated individuals returning home, then ambush, and murder them.
He often left letters detailing his crimes and maps indicating where victims’ bodies could be found, with the local community, living in constant fear, referred to him as the “Jesus Killer” due to his tattoo.
The investigation intensified after Maketta sent letters to his wife and a detective, providing detailed confessions and directions to crime scenes.
He was eventually traced through phone records and arrested in December 2005 and during interrogation, he confessed to multiple murders and rapes, some of which were previously unknown to the authorities.
In 2007, Maketta stood trial facing 54 charges, later reduced to 47, including 16 murders and 19 rapes.
Psychiatric evaluations described him as a remorseless psychopath and he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and remains incarcerated.
7 – Simon Majola
Known as the “Bruma Lake Killer, Majola had prior convictions for housebreaking, assault, and theft that he picked up in his early years.
Married with two children, he met Themba Nkosi in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, their association quickly turned criminal, leading to a series of robberies and murders in areas including Bruma Lake, Rhodes Park, Bezuidenhout Park, and Observatory Rift Park.
Majola and Nkosi targeted couples in parked cars during early evenings or late at night.
They would rob victims of cash, jewelry, bank cards, clothing, and cell phones before binding their feet with stones or bricks and drowning them in Bruma Lake.
The case proved difficult due to the lack of physical evidence, however, a breakthrough occurred when Majola and Nkosi were arrested in February 2001 for illegal firearm possession.
During separate interrogations, both confessed to multiple murders, including details not previously known to authorities.
They also implicated themselves in other crimes, such as the murder of a Baptist preacher and the killing of a mutual friend during a failed break-in.
In September 2002, Majola and Nkosi stood trial with Majola convicted on eight counts of murder, 19 of armed robbery, and five of attempted murder, receiving eight life sentences.
Nkosi was convicted on four counts of murder, 14 of armed robbery, five of attempted murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
6 – Bulelani Mabhayi
Known as the “Monster of Tholeni, Mabhayi’s victims included 10 women and 9 children, with ages ranging from 14 months to 79 years.
Mabhayi targeted households during nighttime when no men were present, he would break into these homes, rape some of his victims, and then murder them using weapons such as an axe or a type of machete.
In May 2010, local men over the age of 16, including Mabhayi, were fingerprinted as part of a community initiative to address the escalating violence.
However, Mabhayi’s fingerprints couldn’t be taken at that time due to lack of identification and he was eventually apprehended after leaving a shoe at a crime scene, and a saliva sample taken during the 2010 initiative was crucial in linking him to the
Mabhayi was convicted on multiple charges, including 20 counts of murder, 6 of rape, and 10 of burglary before he was sentenced to 25 life terms in prison, amounting to 625 years.
5 – Nyauza, Richard
After a woman infected him with HIV, Nyauza grew a hatred towards women, believing that they did not deserve to live and later went on to murder five women between January and September 2002.
Investigators initially believed the murders were connected to the “Highwayman” serial killer, who was identified as Elias Chauke in November 2002.
The body of his sixth victim was found on 2 January 2006, Although she had been strangled as opposed to Nyauza’s previous method of bludgeoning his victims, the killing was quickly linked to the others because of its close proximity to the 2002 murders.
A task force was formed in May to apprehend the perpetrator after five more victims had been found.
On 5 September 2006, investigators realized that there had been a match between the DNA found on the fifth victim and Nyauza and this had been taken from him in 2002.
After confessing to all the crimes, additionally, he claimed to have murdered a man during a contract killing, as well as two robberies. However, no evidence of this was found.
Nyauza was found guilty of 16 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, four counts of rape, and three counts of robbery, he was given 16 life sentences for the murders and an additional 140 years in prison for the rest of his crimes.
4 – Sibusiso Duma
Duma partook in theft, kidnapping, torture and murder while he worked as a taxi driver and used his vehicle as a weapon on occasion, as well as to obtain his victims.
His first murder occured on the 9th September 2007, when he used a minibus to mow down Department of Education security guard, Mqeku Zondi.
The second murder occured on the evening of 14 October 2007 when Duma and his friend Simphiwe Khesi hailed a random vehicle and attacked the driver, First National Bank employee Patricia Kippen.
After being disturbed during the first hijack, they soon found another possible target also killing the driver, journalist Elaine Anderson.
Many more murders would continue in this fassion before, finally, on 25 October 2007, Duma kidnapped, robbed and murdered Pinetown teacher, Noxolo Dlamini.
Judge President Vuka Tshabalala sentenced the Duma to 15 years for attempting to rob Anderson and sentenced Duma to 15 years for robbing Kippen alongside the life sentence for murder.
On 4 August 2009, Duma was further charged in connection with his various other crimes and another 106 years was added to his sentence after a guilty verdict.
3 – Brydon Brandt
Brandt was the youngest of seven children and he reported experiencing severe abuse during his childhood, including physical violence from his father and sexual molestation by his brothers.
At age 10, he was placed in an industrial school due to these abuses, where he faced further victimization ald Later, he served in the South African National Defense Force as a Military Police officer.
In December 1989, Brandt murdered Jean Natlazo, a prostitute, after an argument over payment, an attack which took place Port Elizabeth.
A few weeks later, he killed Sarie Schoeman, another prostitute, in a similarly brutal manner after he lured her under the pretense of paying for her services, then assaulted and murdered her.
In 1996, Brandt strangled his female roommate, Julia, during a dispute and was forced to dispose of her body in a green bin bag.
The following year, he murdered his male roommate, Clinton Dean Morris, during an argument over money before he was arrested after other residents discovered Morris’s body and alerted police.
2 – John Frank Brown
Known as one half of the The Cross-Dressing Killers, Brown, along with his acomplice, Samuel Jacques Coetzee, murdered four men and one teenage boy in the Johannesburg area from 1993 to 1995.
The duo earned their nickname from Coetzee’s part-time job as a drag queen and after arraigned for the crimes, but Coetzee killed himself ten days after their trial began.
After undergoing psychiatric examinations at the Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital, both were found to be sane and able to stand trial.
Convicted of Richter’s murder, on four counts of accessory to murder to the remaining murders, aggravated robbery and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, Brown was subsequently given a life term, which he continues to serve to this day.
1 – Moses Sithole
One of the world’s most dangerous serial killers, Sithole earned his nickname as the “ABC Killer” due to the murders beginning in Atteridgeville, continuing in Boksburg and finished in Cleveland.
Sithole was convicted of 38 murders, along with numerous rapes and assaults, though the exact number of his victims may be higher.
His crimes primarily occurred between 1994 and 1996 in the greater Johannesburg area and also became known as the “Wemmer Pan Killer” after an area in Johannesburg where some of his crimes were committed.
His capture was a result of a massive police investigation, which culminated in his arrest in 1996, and he was later convicted and sentenced to 1,340 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
His case remains one of the most infamous in South African criminal history, reflecting not only the horrific nature of his crimes but also the larger social issues around violence and crime in the country during that period.
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