Husband arrested while reporting wife’s murder

By Staff Reporter

FICKSBURG – As South Africa joins the rest of the world in the campaign against gender-based violence women in Free State continue die, allegedly at the hands of their husbands.

A recent case that has happened in the middle of campaign is that of a husband who drove his dead wife in the passenger seat to report the case at the police station, but was arrested instantly after police established he was linked to the murder.

According to a media statement by police spokesperson warrant officer Mmako Mophiring, a man who resides in Ficksburg but is originally from Ha Seboche village in Lesotho, arrived at the police station driving in his car with his dead wife seated in the passenger seat, to report the matter.

Despite his visible emotions as he was even crying, police arrested him and he appeared in court on the charge of murder on Monday December 4, 2023 after police investigations linked him to the murder.
Mophiring said the 30-year old man was in tears when he reported the incident, but police arrested him after they established that they had an argument 40 minutes prior to driving to the police station.

“It is alleged that the suspect and his 23-year old wife who reside at Zone eight in Meqheleng, had a heated argument while sitting in their car at Meulspruit dam few kilometres from Ficksburg. The wife allegedly told her husband that she was sick, and he got angry and assaulted her. He allegedly stabbed her with a sharp instrument on the neck and she became unconscious. That is when the husband drove from the dam to the police station to report the incident,” Mophiring said.

He said emergency medical service personnel were summoned to the police station but on arrival they declared the woman dead.
Mophiring said the deceased was positively identified by her next of kin.

A case of murder is being investigated .
Another similar incident is that of Free State acting Judge Mamello Thamae, who was allegedly murdered by her husband who drove across the Ficksburg border into Lesotho with her lifeless body but was later arrested at a guest house in Mokhotlong after his wife’s lifeless body was found in the boot of their car.
The husband Lehlohonolo Maketoane (40) is also expected to appear in the Mokhotlong magistrate where he will be applying for a bail.

South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA) president Nomaswazi Shabangu-Mndawe advised women to report gender-based violence and access their free legal services.

“As part of this campaign we would like to show the direction and help women. We are available to assist them in everything they do. Once that have a case, we are available to assist in making sure that when they get to the police station, they issue proper statements that do not end up being thrown out of court.”