The saying goes that everything is for sale at the right price; even your soul and morality. And, in the case of the young Tshegofatso Pule whose body was found hanging from a tree after she was murdered, her right to life could be taken away.
The man accused of her murder on 16 June last year, revealed in the South Gauteng High Court that he agreed to kill Tshegofatso and her unborn baby, after being approached by her boyfriend and offered R70 000. It is speculated that the man who claimed to be in love with her, probably pressured her into aborting the baby she carried, because he did not want his wife to find out about his affair. So, in an attempt to hide his infidelity and insecurities, he decided that she (and her unborn child) had to die.
For me, as a mother of two daughters, this story hits close to home. I can only imagine what it must feel like to lose not only your daughter, but also a grandchild at the hands of a man who could not control his urges, and then not own up to his responsibilities. Not only could he not take responsibility for his decisions, he also took a coward’s way out by approaching someone else to do his dirty work, and then offering to pay him for it.
It is sad to think that the life of a young woman and unborn child could be snuffed out in a blink of an eye. And it could be argued that R70 000 is a small price to pay for a man who wants to ease his conscience, but, for Tshego and her unborn baby, it was too high.
A small consolation might be the fact that the hitman could not live with the consequences of his deed, as he broke down during the first day of his trial and admitted guilt, and in an attempt to make things right, he agreed to work with the State in bringing the man who ordered the hit, to book. And yes, it is true that this will not bring back Tshego or her baby, it might help to bring much-needed closure to her family, and maybe even help to heal their wounds.
Until next week, look after each other and stay safe …
