By Thabo Monyela
MOLEKETLA- A boyfriend and his six family members in Bolobedu, who are accused of murdering Machabe Machete for having an affair with his girlfriend, were remanded in police custody.
Thabang Manyama, 32 and his relatives Emmanuel Manyama, 29, Brenda Malatji, 35, Mapula Manyama, 38, Mosibudi Manyama, Desmond Manyama, 27 and Sharon Maloko from Ga-Thako Village in Bolobedu South, appeared before the Bolobedu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 09 January, and their case was postponed to January 25 for a formal bail application, while kept in police custody.
The 29-year-old Machabe Machete was allegedly hung on a tree and assaulted with sticks and other objects to death by the family, for being in a romantic relationship with Thabang Manyama’s girlfriend in Ga-Thako Village in December.
According to various sources, Thabang’s girlfriend, who cannot be named at this stage, has been having an affair with Machabe for a while, behind Thabang’s back.
On the day of the incident, it is said that the promiscuous girlfriend called and invited the victim to come over for a moment of pleasure at his boyfriend’s house, while Thabang was expected to go to Mokopane to sell green mangoes.
Upon Machabe’s knock at the door, it was the boyfriend who opened and the victim immediately lost his tongue and ran away, while running he dropped his phone, which was later used to trace his identity.
It is alleged that the boyfriend then mobilised people to hunt for Machebe and found him at the Car Wash in Moleketla Village, where he was working assaulted him put him in the back of a bakkie and drove with him to Thabang’s place in Ga-Thako, where they continued to assault until his death.
It is said that during the assault, the girlfriend denounced Machebe in front of his boyfriend and his family and labelled him as a thief who wanted to break in.
On Tuesday in front of the court, while applying for bail, Thabang Manyama denied having a hand in the killing of Machabe Machete.
