…as High Court hears affair dispute
Kabelo Masoabi
A dispute over an alleged affair turned deadly when a 26-year-old man was chased with a knife before collapsing and dying inside a neighbour’s house, the High Court sitting in Leribe has heard.
Chakatsa Ralekhoaba was allegedly killed at Ha Tsunyane, Leribe, on 26 December 2018.
The accused, Sele Jabaki, is facing a murder charge, which he denies.
The court, this past week, heard that Jabaki allegedly confronted Mr Ralekhoaba over an alleged sexual encounter between him and Jabaki’s wife.
The defence, however, maintains that the confrontation escalated into a fight over a knife.
Mr Ralekhoaba’s mother struggled to contain her emotions as witnesses described the events leading to her son’s death.
Mathabang Manqamase told the court that she was cooking pap outside her home at around 8pm when she saw Mr Ralekhoaba running past her yard, calling for his son to help him.
She told him that his son no longer lived at the homestead.
Ms Manqamase said she then saw Jabaki following Mr Ralekhoaba while allegedly wielding a knife.
She and her children raised an alarm as the two men disappeared behind her house.
Later, after hearing a commotion, Ms Manqamase went to a neighbour’s house, where she found Mr Ralekhoaba inside with his chest covered in blood.
The homeowner, Mantaoleng Nketsi, told the court that she heard Mr Ralekhoaba shouting for help and saying that someone was killing him before he entered her unlocked house.
“I woke up from my bed and rushed to the door to assist Mr Ralekhoaba to block it from opening, although I did not know what was happening,” she testified.
Ms Nketsi said Mr Ralekhoaba told her that Jabaki had stabbed him with a knife.
She said the door was eventually opened when her husband arrived to find out what was happening, but Jabaki was nowhere to be seen.
According to Ms Nketsi, Mr Ralekhoaba then lost strength and sat behind the door.
When her husband tried to speak to him, she said, Mr Ralekhoaba did not respond.
His mother, the village chief and other residents later arrived at the scene, where Mr Ralekhoaba was declared dead.
Jabaki was subsequently arrested at his home and handed the knife to the police.
Mother recounts final encounter
Mr Ralekhoaba’s mother, Mamahlapane, told the court that Mr Jabaki had earlier gone to her home asking to see her son.
She said she did not suspect that anything was wrong because Jabaki appeared calm, while Mr Ralekhoaba was also calm when he came to meet him.
Mr Ralekhoaba was eating supper while the two men spoke, she said.
“I went inside the house to sit by the fireplace with my son’s wife and their three-year-old boy. From there, I did not know what transpired between them,” Ms Mamahlapane testified.
She said she only learnt of her son’s death after hearing a commotion coming from Ms Mampolokeng’s home and going there.
Defence disputes stabbing account
The defence has disputed the circumstances surrounding the stabbing.
Advocate Hlalele told the court that Mr Ralekhoaba was stabbed with his own knife after the two men allegedly fought over it.
According to the defence, Jabaki had confronted Mr Ralekhoaba over an alleged earlier sexual encounter with his wife.
The two men allegedly fought over the knife, which the defence says belonged to Mr Ralekhoaba, before Jabaki managed to take possession of it and pursued him.
“The accused said his intention was to confront the deceased about an earlier sexual encounter with his wife,” Adv Hlalele told the court.
The case, presided over by Justice Itumeleng Shale, continues.