…after allegedly burning rival alive
Kabelo Masoabi
A woman accused of pouring petrol into a locked room to burn her romantic rival alive now faces a mental health probe before she can stand trial for murder.
The High Court sitting in Leribe has ordered ’Machabalala Chabalala, accused of burning another woman to death in Maputsoe in 2022, to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before her murder trial can proceed.
Chabalala’s trial was scheduled to begin on Thursday but was interrupted after her defence lawyer, Advocate Mokhachane of Legal Aid, raised concerns about her mental health.
The defence told the court that Chabalala had a history of depression and had previously been under medical supervision. The court also heard that she had not complied with her doctor’s instructions, raising concerns about her current mental state.
The defence argued that it could not be established whether Chabalala was currently capable of understanding the proceedings or appreciating the nature of the trial as it was about to begin.
Following the submissions, the court ordered Chabalala to undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine two key issues: whether she is mentally fit to stand trial, and whether she was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the alleged killing.
The assessment could have significant implications for the murder proceedings, particularly if medical experts determine that her mental state affected her ability to understand her actions or appreciate their consequences at the time of the alleged offence.
Alleged love-triangle confrontation
The case stems from a disturbing incident allegedly involving a confrontation over a suspected romantic relationship between the deceased, Relebohile Letuka, and Chabalala’s husband.
According to preliminary information presented to the court, the confrontation allegedly escalated after Chabalala accused the deceased of having an affair with her husband.
It is alleged that, following the confrontation, Chabalala went to a nearby garage, where she bought petrol before returning to the area where the deceased was staying. She is further accused of returning to the victim’s rented single-room dwelling accompanied by a friend.
The situation allegedly grew increasingly tense when the deceased refused to open the door and instead locked herself inside the room.
The prosecution alleges that Chabalala then smashed a window, poured petrol into the room and set it alight while the deceased remained trapped inside. The fire reportedly engulfed the small rented room, leaving the woman with no chance to escape. She died inside the burning room.
The allegations paint a horrifying picture of a confrontation that allegedly began as a dispute over a romantic relationship but ended with the death of one of the women involved.
Chabalala faces a murder charge, but the court must first determine whether she is mentally fit to participate meaningfully in the proceedings. The psychiatric assessment will also seek to establish her mental condition at the time of the alleged offence.
The court’s decision to order the evaluation does not determine Chabalala’s guilt or innocence. Rather, it is intended to help the court determine whether she is capable of properly understanding and participating in her trial, and whether any mental disorder may have been relevant to her state of mind at the time of the alleged killing.
The matter now awaits the outcome of the psychiatric assessment before the murder trial can proceed.
Woman discharged in separate murder case
…as husband faces trial alone
In a separate murder case, the High Court has discharged ‘Matumelo Ralethola, a woman who had been jointly charged with her husband, Chachi Ralethola, over the death of Horoto Molapo in 2020.
The prosecution had charged the Leribe couple with murder, alleging that they acted together and shared a common purpose to cause Molapo’s death.
However, the court found no evidence directly linking ‘Matumelo to the killing.
The prosecution’s case arose from an incident at the couple’s home in Khanyane following a social gathering attended by several people.
According to the allegations before the court, the couple had slaughtered a pig and hosted visitors at their home. The gathering continued into the night, with people eating, drinking alcohol and socialising.
Later, when most of the people had gone to sleep, the deceased allegedly arrived at the house and entered the premises while attempting to steal from the sleeping visitors.
The prosecution alleged that one of the witnesses woke up during the incident and raised an alarm after discovering that someone was moving around the house and allegedly stealing from those who were asleep.
The commotion reportedly alerted the occupants, leading to a confrontation between the deceased and the couple.
Fight breaks out
According to evidence presented in court, ‘Matumelo was allegedly the first person to confront the deceased and wrestled with him until they were outside the house.
Her husband subsequently joined the fight, allegedly armed with a fighting stick.
The couple and the deceased were therefore involved in a physical struggle as attempts were allegedly made to overpower the suspected intruder.
In his defence, the husband reportedly maintained that the deceased fell onto a metal object during the struggle over possession of the fighting stick.
He maintained that the impact with the metal object caused the injuries that ultimately resulted in the deceased’s death.
The couple were subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
However, the prosecution challenged that version of events, relying on the post-mortem findings.
According to the prosecution, the post-mortem report indicated that the deceased had sustained multiple injuries to the head and body.
The State argued that the nature and number of the injuries were relevant to determining how the deceased died and whether the accused persons were criminally responsible for his death.
Application for discharge
During the proceedings, the defence filed an application seeking the discharge of the accused persons.
The application ultimately resulted in ‘Matumelo being discharged from the murder proceedings, leaving her husband to face the charge alone.
The outcome means that ‘Matumelo will no longer stand trial alongside her husband in connection with Molapo’s death.
Her husband, however, remains before the court and will have to answer to the murder charge independently.
The central issues in the case will now focus on the evidence against the husband, including the circumstances of the fatal confrontation, the injuries recorded in the post-mortem examination and whether the prosecution can prove the murder charge against him beyond reasonable doubt.