By Kabelo Abel Mokgalabone
MOKGOLOBOTO VILLAGE – The gruesome discovery of a half decomposed body of a 20-year-old Kgaogelo Shai has sent shockwaves in the Mokgoloboto area.
The Ritavi police Detective Lawrence Shikwambana confirmed that the body was found at a small valley on the side of the road near Mokgoloboto RDP house at about 12:00 on Monday, September 07. “Shai has been missing since August 29, after she was with her boyfriend, Rodney Kgatla, who allegedly committed suicide two days after her disappearance, ” explained Shikwambana. He further said that investigations are underway.
Shai was a first-year Office Administration student at Letaba TVET College. Her body was found in a wheelbarrow, which is believed to have been used to carry her body from where she was murdered.
The following people whom Tzaneen Voice spoke to mentioned that “the couple had no problems, it was shocking to find out that she was missing,” Shai’s res mate, Tebatso Seja indicated.
Pelma Shai, Kgaugelo’s sister, said she had visited Shai at Mokgolobotho two days before her disappearance.”Kgaogelo acted out of character during my visit. I was there on Thursday and Friday. We spent Friday together until she left in the evening without saying where she was going. She did not come back. On Saturday morning I had to return to Sekororo and I left the key with her neighbour. She then called me later that day to say she was back in the room,” said her sister.
According to her sister, who received information from Shai’s friend explaining that she received a call from her boyfriend that Saturday night and then left to meet him. “Her friends told me they were hanging out, then her boyfriend Ronny Kgatla called her around 20:00. She decided to leave them and went to meet him. That was the last time anyone saw or heard from her,” added her sister.
The neighbours mentioned that this is the suspect’s fourth murder crime. The suspect was out on parole after being arrested for the same crime back in 2010.
Meanwhile, the police have confirmed that Kgatla was out on parole after serving part of his 14-year murder sentence.
Sources close to the Shai family suggest that the murder was motivated by the need for muti as her body showed signs of being mutilated.
According to the sources who want to remain anonymous, indicated that the suspect came home with bloodstains on his shirt but said that he was fighting with heavily armed men from Burgersdorp, who took his girlfriend forcefully on the night of her disappearance.
The family learned from the police that Kgatla had reported that her sister had been kidnapped by four armed suspects, a day before he allegedly killed himself. This has left the family with more questions than answers.
