Protesters call for perpetrators to face the full might of the law
By: Boitumelo Makhapheetja
Multiple violent crimes this Women’s Month caused shock and grief, with investigations underway into several murders.
While the rest of the country celebrates Women’s Month with various joyous events, several areas within Mopani was hit hard by heinous crimes.
In Ga-Patamedi, tragedy struck when 24-year-old radio presenter Lerato Queen Selotole was found murdered at her boyfriend’s residence. According to her family, the suspect, Mokhwakhwa Moraotshehla, 34, had a history of abusing and stalking her. Lerato’s uncle, David Selotole, revealed that the suspect had previously stabbed her in the back and was released after being arrested.
“We are hopeless and helpless, we don’t know how to feel,” he said, expressing the family’s pain and frustration. Moraotshehla, popularly known as “ALWAYS” and a member of the Bad Company 1836 gang, appeared at the Kgapane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 19 August, facing a murder charge.
In another incident, a 34-year-old man, Nceve Nkuna, stabbed his 36-year-old girlfriend, Bongi Mhlongo, multiple times with an unknown object following a heated altercation in Shawela village. Police responded to a report of the violent incident and discovered Mhlongo’s lifeless body with several stab wounds. Nkuna was later tracked down and arrested while hiding in Nsavulani, a section of Shawela Village. During his court appearance, Nkuna opted for state legal representation and refused to apply for bail. Residents and the ANC Women’s League gathered outside the Giyani Magistrate’s Court to protest against Nkuna being granted bail, demanding justice for the victim.
In a separate incident, a 72-year-old woman was shot multiple times at her home in Ga-Sekororo by unknown suspects. Police and emergency services rushed to the scene after receiving a tip-off from the community and found the victim lying near the gate of her home with multiple gunshot wounds. Provincial police spokespersons confirmed that investigations are underway to establish the motive behind the killing, and no arrests have been made yet. The police have appealed to community members to assist with any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
Limpopo Social Development MEC Florence Radzilani has condemned the brutal killings of women in Ga-Patamedi and Shawela, calling on communities to unite against gender-based violence. She urged anyone with information about perpetrators to report them to law enforcement and emphasized that violence in relationships is never justified, highlighting the availability of professional support services to help couples in conflict.
“It is with great pain and dismay that we witness yet another set of brutal killings of women, even during August Women’s Month when we are meant to celebrate, honour, and protect women. It is unfathomable that individuals entrusted to love and care for these women are the very ones responsible for their deaths. These acts of brutality must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” she said.