A 29-year-old Sabelo Mpuqa from Zola 29-year-old Sabelo Mpuqa from Zola made his second appearance at the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, May 17 for a bail application.
The accused is facing charges of rape and murder which by law fall under schedule six. He was therefore denied bail due to the fact that he is not a first-time offender and at the time he committed the crime he was out on bail for the issue of drinking and driving and was due to attend the court case sometime this year.
It is alleged that the accused killed his 27-year-old girlfriend, Palesa Sikhonde at his home in a backroom at Zola 3 on May 5, tempered with evidence and after realising what he had done, he rushed the deceased to Bheki Mlangeni Hospital where upon arrival she was declared dead.
The police were called and he was arrested the following morning on May 6. Upon his arrest the accused admitted to have physically punched the deceased, strangled her with his hands and when she was about to scream, he strangled her with his shoe lace for a good ten minutes.
The statement which the accused made to the police was read in court.
Residents of Mofolo North (Sgodiphola) came in their numbers to support the family in ensuring that the accused doesn’t get bail. The accused will be going back to court in June. Sikhonde was laid to rest on May 14.
