Youth accused of rape, murder of elderly woman denied bail
Staff Writer | Friday November 23, 2018 13:17
The duo, Modisakgotla Keganeditse, 24, and Moabi Morwalela, 21, are alleged to have robbed Grace Keakantse, 70, a mobile phone worth P249 at her Area W home during the wee hours of November 17.
The State also alleges that after the duo robbed Keakantse of her mobile phone; they then took turns raping her that very same morning.
In the last count, the State alleges that after the accused finished taking turns raping the elderly woman, they murdered her and then escaped.
Keganeditse was arrested on November 18 in connection with a different offence while Morwalela was arrested on November 19 after the police found him hiding behind a toilet at his mother’s place in Kgaphamadi.
When the duo made their maiden appearance in court in connection with the offences, Sergeant Kabelo Pheto called the officer who is investigating the cases, detective Constable Kgathego Oteng to give reasons why the accused should be denied bail.
Oteng opposed the bail saying that the matters were still fresh since they were all committed on November 17 on the same person.
“Our investigations in respect to all the counts the accused are facing are still at their initial stages. We fear that the accused may interfere with our investigations if they are given bail. We are yet to interview our witnesses. The public and relatives of the deceased are very angry about what happened to her. “We fear that members of the public and relatives of the deceased may harm the accused if they are given bail now. Tempers are still boiling and as such we pray that the accused should be remanded in custody to allow us to complete our investigations,” said Oteng.
When praying to be granted bail, Keganeditse told the court that he has a very small child who will suffer if he is further incarcerated while Morwalela said that he had nothing to say.
Denying the accused bail, Magistrate Kose Makobo said that the accused are facing very serious offences some of which attract the death penalty.
“Balancing the interests of society against those of the accused, I find it fit to further remand the accused in custody to allow the police to complete their investigations. The accused should come to court again on November 6 for mention,” Makobo concluded. The case has clearly attracted public attention especially from residents of Area W who filled the court’s public gallery to the brim. But the gallery soon emptied after the duo was arraigned.
Both Keganeditse and Morwalela, who were hiding their faces from members of the public and journalists after their arraignment, showed journalists who took their photos the middle finger.
They even threatened to assault the journalists with handcuffs.