Murder accused demands bail to vote

Christinah Motlhabane
DECEASED: Oratile Makole

Charged with killing his baby mama

An Nswazwi man accused of murdering his girlfriend seemed more concerned about his right to vote in the upcoming elections rather than the charges against him.

34-year-old Wenyu Kgomotso is alleged to have stabbed his baby mama, Oratile Makole, 21, to death last Thursday (26 September).

The suspected killer is then said to have gone on the run. He was eventually apprehended two days later when police officers and members of the community found him hiding out by a river in the village.

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Appearing before Masunga Magistrate Court this Wednesday, Kgomotso showed little remorse as he requested bail, asking, “I registered to vote so when I am remanded in custody, how will I vote?

“How am I going to vote when I am in prison?” he re-iterated, a question to which the prosecutor admitted he was not sure.

Stressing that he needed to ‘go and think outside of prison’, Kgomotso tried to use the child he fathered with the woman he is accused of killing as a further reason to be granted bail.

“I have a small child so I want to see who can take care of him.”

However, Investigating Officer Kopanang Lesemela warned it would be dangerous to set the accused free, noting Kgomotso was a flight risk as he had already run away once.

“The investigations are at the initial stage; we have not recovered the murder weapon. Bailing him out might raise emotions of the deceased’s family as the matter is still fresh,” continued the cop.

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Magistrate Segametsi Basinyi duly remanded the suspect in prison, setting the case’s next mention for October 15 – eight days before the general elections!

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