‘Wake up, wake up!’
These were the desperate pleas from the 25-year-old girlfriend of Tshepo Thapo (28) who was stabbed to death by an 18-year-old girl in Ext. 11 on Sunday.
The suspect, who was later arrested by the Ikageng police, is the daughter of the girlfriend’s cousin.
According to Sgt Kelebogile Trom, the Ikageng SAPS spokesperson, the police were called to the scene at about 02:30 on Sunday and found the emergency services at the scene.
‘Tshepo had been stabbed in the chest and was lying on the couch, covered with a duvet. The 18-year-old admitted to stabbing the man. She was arrested and the deceased was taken to a mortuary,’ said Trom.
I stayed in the room with him, not knowing I was with a corpse
The aunt of the deceased, a 50-year-old woman who lived in a back room in his yard told the Herald that this has traumatised her very much.
She said she had intervened in arguments between the suspect and the deceased earlier on.
‘I got in-between them and begged Tshepo to stop fighting. The saddest part is that my words fell into the water because, as soon as I went back to sleep, they started again.
‘When they woke me up again, I went to see what was happening and that is when I saw her stab him with a sharp object. I asked her why she had done it and she said Tshepo was always fighting with his girlfriend and it had to stop. When he fell down, I heard him draw his last breath.
‘I did not realise that he was dead. When the girlfriend called the ambulance, I stayed in the room with him not knowing I was with a corpse. He had long passed away and the paramedics declared him dead when they arrived,’ she said.
He had a jealous streak but I loved him dearly
The 25-year-old girlfriend had been in a relationship with Tshepo for about five years. She said she was heartbroken by what had happened and would always remember him for making jokes and laughing at the top of his voice.
‘Although he had a lot of anger and a jealous streak, I loved him dearly. We had our quarrels from time to time but we soon resolved them and went back to being our happy selves.
‘He always talked about getting a better job as an electrician and paying lobola for me,’ she smiled shyly. The girlfriend has not been able to eat or sleep properly since the death.
Tshepo will be buried in Kaalpan this Saturday.
