Susan Manyathelo (58) a secretary at the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers in Francistown, is accused of mariticide, the killing of a husband by his wife. Susan of Makobo village in the Central District allegedly murdered her husband, Peter (68) between February 7 and 8, 2022, in Makobo, according to the charge sheet.
Peter was found dead in his Toyota Hilux car by a passerby who alerted the police. When Susan appeared for arraignment on Friday before Chief Magistrate Mareledi Dipate, inspector Isaiah Oabile applied for a plea in the matter to be reserved. Oabile then informed the court that he had agreed with defence attorney David Olatotse that the matter shall be rolled to February 14, 2022, for a hearing on the bail application. “We will call the Investigating Officer (IO) to give reasons whether he is opposed to bail or not,” Oabile said, adding that he was making a further application for the accused to remain in police custody. Asked if she had anything to say by Dipate, Susan, who had been crying even before the court proceedings started, prayed with the court to grant her bail. “The funeral processes of my husband can only proceed smoothly in my presence,” a sobbing Manyathelo said before Dipate postponed the matter to Valentine’s Day for a bail hearing. The IO is expected to bring to the fore motive(s) of the alleged killing today (Monday). News from the grapevine is that the two had a fight at home and after injuring him, she decided to drive the husband to the road side and left him there before she went to work. Peter was laid to rest on Saturday. Just last week, MmegiOnline reported that Tatitown police were investigating the death of an unknown elderly man found inside a Toyota Hilux. It turns out the man was Peter. Tatitown Police station commander superintendent, Boipuso Baatweng told this publication that the man was found dead just a few metres from Borolong Bridge. He added: “When we arrived at the scene, we found the man motionless in a pool of blood seated on the driver’s side. We suspect that the deceased person was attacked whilst he was driving from Borolong to Francistown.” At the time, Baatweng stated that the deceased man sustained deep scars on his head and suspects that he was hit with a metal object or a sharp object might have been used. He indicated that the elderly man did not have any documentation on him and for that reason, his identity remained a mystery.
