Alleged Stepdaughter Killer Denied Bail
Staff Writer | Monday February 5, 2018 13:06
Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu denied Motlatsi Khoto, 44, of Marobela village bail when he appeared in court for the second time.
The state alleges that Khoto, an aircraft marshal at CAAB murdered Metlha Sibanda, 9, on January 17 at Marobela village. Khoto allegedly suffocated Sibanda following a love misunderstanding with her mother.
The police exhumed the body of Sibanda at a river at Marobela on January 18 after Khoto showed them the spot where he had buried Metlha’s corpse. Metlha was Khoto’s stepdaughter. Khoto and Metlha’s mother are close relatives.
The harrowing incident has clearly affected family members of Khoto and his former girlfriend. The grief-stricken members of the two families huddled together in court and it seemed that despite all odds their family ties were not broken by the unfortunate incident.
During Khoto’s brief appearance in court, sergeant Kabelo Pheto applied for Khoto to be further remanded in custody. He said: “Our investigations into the matter are still ongoing. We apply for the accused to be further remanded in custody”.
In reply to the application made by the prosecution, Khoto said that during his initial appearance in court he was told to apply for bail at the High Court.
Khoto, who has not yet appointed an attorney, then cluelessly asked how far was the process to apply for his bail at the High Court. However, Mulalu advised Khoto to make his bail application before Senior Magistrate Cele Lebakeng who is the substantive magistrate in the matter.
The matter was adjourned to February 16 for status hearing.
During Khoto’s previous appearance, he unknowingly admitted having been pained by having killed Metlha adding that the prosecution does not feel the pain he was feeling.
“I am very much worried by what I have done. I do smoke Peter Stuyvesant, but I don’t take drugs. I am also on medication for depression,” said a seemingly remorseful Khoto with a cracking voice.