Kale family demand justice for murdered Lerato Kale
The 19-year-old was allegedly killed by her long-term abusive boyfriend she was living in hiding from on Women’s Day night.
Tsakani – The family and community of Tsakani are reeling with grief after Lerato Kale’s body was found in her bedroom last Thursday morning.
Her long-term boyfriend allegedly killed the 19-year-old on Women’s Day.
Her brother, Tumelo Motaung, found her with hands and legs tied together with her doek to the back, strangled with the one sleeve of the sweater she was wearing and buried under a heap of clothes.
Tumelo said on Thursday morning, he went to his grandmother’s house, where Lerato was staying, to check up on her as she was not answering her cellphone.
“I found the house in a state with dishes and clothes scattered on the floor, and it seemed Lerato was not there.
“As I cleaned up the house and tried to pick up the pile of clothes on the floor, which were also soaked in water, I realised they were unnecessarily heavy.
“On close inspection, I found Lerato’s body under the pile. She was bleeding through her nose and ears,” he explained.
Tumelo added the state he found his younger sister still haunted him.
“My sister has been living in fear of the suspect for over a year now. Two months ago, she was arrested for possession of stolen goods after the suspect broke into her home and stole some of their furniture.
“She dropped out of school in Grade 10 after meeting the suspect, who would force her not to go to school for weeks while she was at his home.
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“We thought she could rebuild her life now that she finally left him. We knew it would not be easy because of the threats to her life,” she added.
The family moved her to their grandmother’s house last week after her boyfriend broke into the home searching for her.
“We believed she would be safer here as the house has better security, but we were wrong. He tracked her down,” he said.
Ekurhuleni SAPS district spokesperson Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed that they were investigating a case of murder.
“The suspect, the 30-year-old boyfriend, was arrested and appeared before the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The court postponed the suspect’s formal bail hearing to September 14, and he is in police custody,” she said.
