Mhalapitsa Villagers Assault Murder Suspect

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday March 15, 2010 00:00

Reports indicate that close to 100 people were involved in the fracas as villagers reacted with anger to what they believed was a miscarriage of justice in the murder of 40 year-old Keboeletse Tasco Mmoniemang, who was found dead along Martin's Drift road.

Reports are that some body parts of the deceased were missing.

The family of Mmoniemang found out that he was dead when Palapye police invited residents of Mhalapitsa to help in identifying a man who had been run over by a car.

It later emerged that the late Mmoniemang, who was last seen alive heading for Lecheng on February 14, had been in the company of two men who offered him a lift in their donkey cart.

The family is alleging that the police did not follow the right procedures in dealing with the case.

'The other worrying thing is that they did not investigate the crime scene on the same date and as the deceased's family we fear that crucial information was lost as it rained the following day,' alleges Pinkie Seano, sister of the deceased.

Pinkie also said after the assault of the accused by the crowd, police only took a statement from the family last Thursday after she and some villagers had been detained for days in Lecheng.

She said the police accused her of mobilising the masses to riot.

She alleged that the suspect admitted to murdering the deceased but denied any involvement in the missing body parts. 

Moreover, she said the suspects were interrogated at the Kgotla in front of many people, a procedure she criticised.

The deceased's father, Mmoniemang Seano wondered why his son's death was not given proper attention by the law enforcement unit.

'I don't know what is happening, I think when somebody is a suspect he has to be held in police custody and if there is more than one person they have to be stationed in different areas,' he said.

Just like Pinkie, the old man believes his son was not hit by a car. He explained that the deceased's clothes were not torn and the t-shirt that he had worn under the industrial work suit was missing.

'Some parts of the flesh on one of his leg was missing, his face was squashed and I believe some parts like eyes were also missing,' he said.  

He said what hurt him the most, is the reported talk in the village of the suspects bragging about the money they allegedly received after the death of Mmoniemang.

One of the nine villagers who are to face charges of assault and kidnapping, Koolopile Motswaiso, said while the villagers were aware that assaulting the suspect was a crime; they felt that they would not get justice from the law.

'We knew that by taking the law into our own hands we were not doing right, but we thought the police would react in giving the village of Mhalapitsa justice for one of its lost residents,' he said.

There are allegations that prior to the village assembling and assaulting the suspect they sought the intervention of Kgosi Bompoetse Gotswanatse who adviced them to wait for the police.

Meanwhile Palapye Station commander, Kenneth Masole who confirmed the case and the civil unrest that it has brought, referred The Monitor to Senior Superintendent Dintwa who is reported to be handling the case.  Dintwa could however not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.