Taxi man remanded for attempted murder over sex

Molepolole Magistrate Kefilwe Resheng this week remanded in custody a taxi man, Keemenao Malepa, who is accused of shooting his girlfriend and wounding her niece.

Magistrate Resheng dismissed Malepa’s bail application and considered state prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Uyapo Koketso’s request to have the accused remanded in custody for over three weeks until the next mention set for September 24th, 2020.

ASP Koketso requested the court to remand Malepa arguing that the victim was still not well as she was surgically operated and was due to go for another operation to remove the pellets which were not removed during the first operation.

“The victim is also scared, and fears that the accused may attack her again. We are also waiting for the affidavit from the forensic laboratory. May the accused be remanded in custody,” said ASP Koketso.

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Malepa had earlier on, in his plea, stated that he handed himself to the police after the incident and that he has been incarcerated for more than a month leaving his property unattended and losing out on his taxi business.

“I stay in Molepolole and the victim stays at her place, there is no how I can attack her and interfere with investigations. Last week I was admitted twice in the hospital because of high blood pressure which has been troubling me since 2009, even now I am supposed to go and collect my medication” Malepa said before complaining that prison is congested and that they are not given proper assistance.

The magistrate ruled in favour of the prosecution that he could have thought of all he had mentioned in court before he committed crime.

“If you could have thought of all those things, you would not be here, we wouldn’t know you, you are going back to prison. The alleged attack is still new and it is not about how you feel we consider the complainant health condition so I cannot grant you bail,” Resheng ruled. 

The 33-year-old Malepa is facing two counts of attempted murder, the crimes he allegedly committed on July 1st, 2020.

He is said to have attempted to murder his girlfriend Tshepiso Poupa, 32, and unlawfully wounded Tshepiso’s 5-year-old niece Tracy Poupa.

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Malepa is also said to have shot Tshepiso after he demanded sex which he did not get because Tshepiso was sick.

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