By Kabelo Abel Mokgalabone
GA – MAHLAKOANE : With Ashan Fraz Cheema sentenced to life imprisonment by the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane on Wednesday, Polokwane Weekly has heard of the chilling murder of Precious Mohlale Magabane.
▪︎21st DECEMBER 2018
Ashan Fraz Cheema told his friend, Raz Ali that the Magabane family was threatening him.
▪︎ON SUNDAY, THE 23RD OF DECEMBER 2018
Precious Magabane left her home in Ga – Mahlakoane to go to church but she never returned.
On the same day, Cheema and Raz went to Aloe Ridge Flats in Burgersfort, where Precious had a room she was renting.
Cheema told Raz that they should kill Precious because she was cheating but Raz refused by telling Cheema that he didn’t come to South Africa to kill people. Cheema then tried to convince Raz by saying it will be a secret but Raz still refused and left.
▪︎ON MONDAY, THE 24TH OF DECEMBER 2018
Precious’ father called but there was no answer.
On the same day, Cheema called Raz at 01: 00 am to go collect Bilal [ Cheema’s cousin] early in the morning.
Between 17: 00 and 18: 00 on the 24th of December, Cheema called Raz again and told him that he and Bilal have killed Precious. Cheema told Raz that he must come to Aloe Ridge Flats at 22: 00 with five refusal bags so that they can put the pieces of the body of Precious.
Raz arrived at 22: 30 with the refusal bags.
▪︎ON MONDAY, THE 25TH OF DECEMBER 2018
Precious’ father continued to call the phone but her phone was still not answered. After a while, they received a message saying that Precious went to Sun City in Rustenburg with friends.
Cheema called Raz and told him that he and Bilal have cut the pieces of the body, except the head and the hand, and placed them in the refusal bags and disposed them on the side of the R37 Lydenburg road as well as on the mountain.
▪︎ ON TUESDAY, THE 26TH OF DECEMBER 2018
Raz told Cheema that his car has a bad smell but Cheema said it is the head and hand of Precious.
Cheema also threatened Raz that if ever he speaks up, he will kill him and cut the pieces of his body as well.
After the car wash, they then drove to a certain plot [ a soccer field ] and dug a shallow grave to bury the head and hand of Precious.
▪︎7TH JANUARY 2019
Precious’ sister, Gloria Magabane went to Khabishi Primary School to enquire about her sister but the school had no knowledge of her whereabouts.
Raz Ali told the court that he was the first suspect to be arrested and was in cooperation with the Police.
He said that he didn’t know where Precious was killed and he didn’t even know where the other body parts were, he said that he only knew where the head and hand were.
▪︎7TH FEBRUARY 2019
Cellphone coordinates then led to the arrest of Ashan Fraz Cheema on the 7th of February and he was identified by Precious’ sister, Jennifer Zungu.
After his arrest, Cheema showed the police where he threw the body parts of Precious.
▪︎27TH JUNE 2022
The Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane drops the charges against Raza Ali after he agreed to turn state witness. His testimony and the evidence he presented in court, implicate Ashan Fraz Cheema.
▪︎28TH JUNE 2022
The High Court charges Ashan Fraz Cheema with murder, for killing Precious Magabane. The court then charges him for theft/robbery for assaulting Precious and stealing her phone, a blue Huawei P20 lite, and lastly charges him with defeating ends of justice by dismembering the body of the deceased and disposed in a plot, on the side of the R37 road and the mountain.
▪︎29TH JUNE 2022
Ashan Fraz Cheema is convicted! He is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 2 years for robbery, and 5 years for defeating the ends of justice.
