Two men from Mokubilo village have been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a mentally disabled youth last week.
21-year-old Molefe Goaletsa’s butchered remains were found abandoned in the bush the following morning by a Phane harvester and her puppy.
Although police are reluctant to go into detail, rumours are rife that Goaletsa was murdered for muti purposes, with his head and other limbs reportedly severed.
Abraham Boimetswe, 20, and Baikgantshi Kukama, 23, have since been arrested and remanded in custody in connection with the murder.
A popular figure in Mokubilo and Mmea going by the name Zanda, Goaletsa, who had Down Syndrome, was a regular presence at the village’s shopping complex.
The Voice learnt that on the night he disappeared, the ever cheerful Zanda was seen in the company of Boimetswe and Kukama.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a shop assistant revealed the trio had been drinking together ‘the entire evening’ before disappearing down the gravel road leading to Mmea just 20km away.
“The next day we learnt that Zanda was missing,” she said.
The Voice tracked the deceased’s family in Mmea and talked to the dead man’s aunt, Tebogo Gakethata.
The distraught Gakethata said she learnt of the discovery of human remains on Thursday morning.
“I was in shock, because we had been looking for my nephew, and I was hoping it wouldn’t be him,” she said.
Her worst fears were, however, confirmed as news began to filter through that her nephew was murdered and dumped in the bushes along the Mokubilo/Mmea road.
“We went to the scene, where a group of young men called out two boys who were last seen with Molefe,” said Gakethata, adding the police were promptly called and the two men arrested.
Also confirming the incident was Kgosi Botshabelo Dijeng of Mokubilo, who was notified by a Central Investigation Department (CID) officer about the bloody discovery.
“I was as shocked as everyone and did not inquire further until they drove away with the body,” he said.
The woman who uncovered the grisly corpse, Kefhilwe Tsholetsa, 26, told The Voice she had left home early to harvest mophane worm in the company of her trusted dog ‘Botshelo’.
She said her inquisitive pet, whose name ironically translates to ‘life’, began sniffing enthusiastically around the bushes.
“I moved closer to investigate, and that’s when I saw an arm. A bloodied body was dumped in the bushes. I also noticed the bloodied white t-shirt and a lot of blood around the neck area,” said Tsholetsa.
The visibly shaken Tsholetsa, who works as a security guard, said she remembers ‘Zanda’ as a bubbly young man who was loved by everyone in Mokubilo.
“He was my friend and I loved his laughter. I used to crack jokes just so I could hear his infectious laughter,” she said, braking down in tears.
Meanwhile, Letlhakane Station Commander, Michael Maphephu told The Voice the cops are still waiting for postmortem results to make a conclusive report.
“We cannot say any body parts were missing until we get a pathology report, because these are the people trained in human anatomy,” explained Maphephu, in response to a question on allegations of a possible ritual killing and missing body parts.
“These are rumours flying around the village, but that’s not how the police work. They’ll carry out their own investigations and get to the bottom of this matter,” added Maphephu.
Goaletsa will be buried in Mmea on Saturday.