Kabelo Masoabi
A Butha-Buthe man, accused of murdering his wife, has broken down in tears while testifying in his defence at the High Court in Leribe, insisting that her death resulted from a struggle over a knife and that he had no intention of killing her.
Taelo Makhera, 44, of ’Muela Makeneng, is charged with murdering his wife, ‘Mathabo Makhera, on 23 December 2016 at Ha Ramalieletse in Botha-Bothe.
He told the court on Thursday that the fatal confrontation began after a telephone call from an unidentified man whom he suspected had been with his wife earlier that day. The argument escalated after he slapped her, eventually leading to a struggle over a knife.
According to Makhera, the man called ‘Mathabo on her mobile phone and asked how she had travelled. She reportedly replied that she had travelled well and that they would speak the following morning.
The conversation angered Makhera, who questioned his wife about the caller. He said she told him to stop interfering in her affairs.
The couple then struggled over the phone, with Makhera claiming that he wanted to speak to the caller and tell him to leave his wife alone.
After failing to take the phone, he said, he slapped ‘Mathabo across the face, prompting her to become furious.
Makhera testified that his wife then picked up an Okapi knife from a bedside table, triggering a struggle over the weapon.
“We wrestled for the knife and went outside, where we continued fighting in the mud. We rolled down a slope towards a neighbour’s yard before a neighbour, Teboho Keresiane, intervened.
“He took the knife from my hand and asked whether I realised what I had done to my wife,” Makhera told the court, his voice breaking as he fought back tears.
He said community members subsequently tied his hands with rope and assaulted him before leaving him at his mother’s house. They then returned to the scene to attend to ‘Mathabo.
Makhera claimed he managed to bite through the rope and escape into nearby bushes.
“I stayed hidden there until 3am, when I decided to go to my uncle’s house so that he could escort me to the police station to surrender myself. He agreed and lent me his gumboots and a blanket because I had lost my shoes during the struggle with my wife,” he testified.
He further claimed that he sustained injuries from the knife and from sticks and stones during the struggle down the slope.
Makhera alleged that police officer, Liabo Tholo, subsequently took him to Botha-Bothe Hospital for treatment.
Prosecution challenges his account
The prosecution disputed Makhera’s version of events, arguing that he deliberately killed his wife out of anger and suspicion that she was having an extramarital affair.
It argued that he had repeatedly failed to seek intervention from the couple’s parents when marital disputes arose, despite having opportunities to resolve their differences before the fatal confrontation.
The prosecution also cited disagreements surrounding the couple’s planned trip to Botha-Bothe town as part of the events leading up to ‘Mathabo’s death.
Challenging Makhera’s claim that the stabbing occurred during a struggle over the knife, the prosecution referred to testimony by the first state witness, Thabo Ramphasane.
Mr Ramphasane told the court that he saw Makhera sitting on top of ‘Mathabo and stabbing her with a knife.
The prosecution argued that this account contradicted the accused’s version of events. It also disputed Makhera’s claim that he sustained injuries during the incident.
Investigating officer Tholo also testified that he had not seen any injuries on Makhera after the incident. He also denied taking Makhera to the hospital.
Post-mortem evidence presented in court indicated that ‘Mathabo died from multiple stab wounds.
The report recorded seven stab wounds, including four to the neck, with additional wounds to her back, cheek, breast, shoulder and leg.
Disagreement over trip to town
Recounting the events preceding the fatal confrontation, Makhera testified that he and his wife had planned to travel to Botha-Bothe town on the day of the incident to buy building materials.
He said they were both employed and had agreed to combine their savings to purchase the materials. At the time, he worked at a clinic as a Global Fund coordinator, while ‘Mathabo was employed in South Africa.
According to Makhera, his wife later suggested that they meet in town because she was delaying him.
After arriving in town, he said, he repeatedly called her to establish her whereabouts, but she did not answer. He claimed to have waited for several hours before going to the taxi rank, where he eventually found her.
He said he was surprised when ‘Mathabo told him she was no longer interested in buying building materials and had come to town for personal reasons.
“I was very angry because we had agreed to combine our money to buy building materials, but she suddenly changed her plans,” he testified.
Makhera said he subsequently left his wife in town and returned home. She arrived at about 6pm, after which he confronted her about her conduct.
During the ensuing argument, he said, ‘Mathabo received the call from the unidentified man.
“I heard a man asking how she had travelled back home, and she replied that they would talk in the morning. This gave me the impression that they had been together earlier that day, which was why she wanted me out of sight when we were in town,” he told the court.
Longstanding suspicions
Makhera further testified that suspicions about his wife’s alleged infidelity had troubled their marriage for years.
He told the court that ‘Mathabo had once returned home pregnant from South Africa, where she was working.
“She confessed that she had conceived outside our marriage and apologised. She also asked me to keep the matter within the family. I forgave her,” he said.
He added that ‘Mathabo later returned to South Africa without his approval and subsequently came back appearing thin and unwell. According to Makhera, she told him she had suffered a miscarriage.
He said he had chosen not to involve their parents in their marital problems because he did not want either family to harbour resentment towards him or his wife.
The case continues before Acting Justice ’Manapo Motebele.