. . . as another allegedly forges title deeds
Kabelo Masoabi
MPHO Masheane, a resident of Mpharane who is facing charges of housebreaking and theft of household goods valued at M9 000, recently appeared before Leribe Magistrate, Thoora Semela.
The goods, allegedly stolen while the homeowner was at work in Newcastle, South Africa, include two large sound speakers, a DVD player, pots, building sand and bricks.
The complainant, ’Mats’epo Silo, alleges that Masheane broke a window and door to gain entry into her unguarded property before leaving with the goods on July 28, 2024.
Silo received a message that her house had been broken into while the family was away and upon returning home she found the house had been ransacked with the items in question missing.
Investigations fingered Masheane, a family friend who had previously moulded bricks for the family.
Police recovered the speakers and the DVD player from Masheane’s house.
Silo told the court that suspects Masheane had also stolen 350 bricks and building sand which he allegedly used to build his own house while Silo and her family were away.
Masheane, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, claimed that the complainant had lent him the speakers and the DVD player in 2021, but Silo rejected the claim.
Recounting events leading up to the alleged theft before the court, Masheane, who has since been released on bail, alleged that Silo had lent a Tedelex DVD player to him after his satellite decoder malfunctioned.
He further claimed that Silo’s husband had also lent him Telefunken speakers to enhance the quality of music on Christmas Day in 2021, since they celebrated the day together.
But Silo denied lending her property to him.
“Neither I nor my partner ever lent you our belongings,” Silo replied.
Following the burglary incident, Silo’s sister, Mamolemo Mots’abi, said Masheane had visited her house to inquire about the stolen items.
Mots’abi claimed Masheane had told her that he had taken the speakers and the DVD player because Silo’s family owed him some money.
The hearing continues before Magistrate Semela.
Land fraudster reappears in court
Meanwhile, in another case before Magistrate Semela, Nyama Ramohanoe, a 49-year-old man from St. Monica’s Popopo in Leribe, is facing serious charges of fraud for allegedly unlawfully taking possession someone else’s land and creating counterfeit title deeds.
He appeared at the Leribe Magistrate’s Court on November 12, having originally been arraigned on September 3, 2025.
The court had granted him bail of M1,500, which he was able to pay.
His next court hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2025.
Ramohanoe was arrested on September 2 after a report was made to the Hlotse investigation office, indicating that construction had occurred on the complainant’s land without the owner’s consent on August 12, 2025.
Further investigations revealed that Ramohanoe had allegedly sold portions of the land to two individuals using fraudulent title deeds while impersonating the actual landowner.