Nat Molomo
MASERU — The main suspect in the murder of an 85-year-old Khubetsoana granny has denied the charge saying “I know nothing about her death.”
’Makhotso Molise, was giving her defence evidence before the Acting Chief Justice Tšeliso Monaphathi and assessors in the High Court this week.
Molise is being tried together with her son Khotso Molise and ’Mantoa Mokoaleli, for allegedly killing and robbing the deceased ’Manthakoana (Sisi) Mahase.
The accused are alleged to have killed Mahase on August 11, 2009 in Khubetsoana, Berea.
At the time the alleged offence took place Mokoaleli was the deceased’s domestic worker.
The deceased (Mahase) was found dead in her locked bedroom, which had to be force-opened following a frantic search for the octogenarian by her children.
The trio pleaded not guilty before the Justice Monaphathi and assessors in the High Court.
The Molises and Mokoaleli are also charged with robbing the deceased of her property which included 48kg of gas cylinder, sewing machine, cell phones and several other household items.
‘Makhotso who concluded her evidence-in-chief on Tuesday, was being cross-examined by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Leaba Thetsane KC.
She told the court that the Mahase was her neighbour, adding only a fence separates the two’s homesteads.
The main suspect said they were on good terms with the deceased and that each time the old lady left home on a journey, she would tell her (‘Makhotso).
She told the court that a day would not pass without the neighbours seeing each other, although a vehicle from a local organisation for the elderly would come to take her almost every day.
When the DPP put it to her that the person who killed the deceased had an interest in taking her property, the accused said she was not sure about that because a person could only take another’s property while the owner was still alive.
Molise told the court: “I know nothing about the death of the deceased.”
The first person to break the news to her, she told the court, was an individual only known as Matsina.
“I only knew about her death on Friday August 14, 2009,” Molise said.
When her lawyer Advocate Thabo indicated to her that the reason she is being charged is that she (Molise) pointed the deceased’s property in her own house, she denied it.
“I did not point the property, the property was mine. ‘M’e Nthakoana, (deceased’s daughter) is the one who pointed to the property as hers,” Molise said.
On Friday August 14, 2009, at around 10.00 in the morning Nthakoana arrived at her (Molise’s) home alone.
According to the witness, Nthakoana asked her if she had seen her mother.
“I told her I last saw her on Tuesday but I heard ‘Mantoa Mokoaleli saying the deceased had gone to Vereeniging to visit some of her children,” Molise said.
Molise told the court Nthakoana further said that they looked for the deceased everywhere and that since they had not found her, they were thinking of going to search for her at homes for the elderly in South Africa.
Comments are closed.