Village burns as angry community seeks justice for woman’s death
The tragic death of a young woman who was found dead in Sefhare this past weekend has left villagers seething in anger and threatening to take the law into their own hands if the police do not properly investigate and find justice for the victim.
Residents are angry that the people they heavily suspect to be linked to the killing of one of their own were interrogated by the police and released.
Members of the community have already concluded that the said people are guilty, so much that they have even splashed pictures of the ‘killers’ on social media labelling them “heartless murderers.”
They are also convinced that the woman was not only killed but her body parts harvested. Realising the tension in the village, Sefhare village leadership on Tuesday morning convened a meeting at the Kgotla to address the matter.
The police informed residents during the meeting that they are investigating the death of a woman who was found lying unconscious near water tanks in the village. She was rushed to the hospital where she was certified dead. The police said that contrary to social media reports, the lady was found intact, with none of her body parts missing.
The police appealed to the community to come forward if they have anything tangible to share.
They confirmed having questioned some suspects as part of their investigations and as per procedure, once done, they release them unless there are reasonable grounds to keep them longer.
Furthermore, the public was told that one person suspected to be linked to the woman’s death has died. The man, who was boyfriend to the murdered woman, allegedly committed suicide. The police report left many of those who were gathered at the Kgotla roaring in disbelief. They accused the police of lying, saying they have witnesses who have informed them that the killed lady’s body parts were harvested. When the residents left the Kgotla, they went around the village in large groups looking for the ‘killers.’ The situation was very tense, with residents threatening to spill blood by the end of the day because the police were not serious. They marched to known locations of the ‘killers’ saying they are now living in fear because of killers that are allowed to roam the streets. Realising that the situation was getting out of hand, the police and other law enforcement officers pleaded with residents to stop causing riots in the village. The plea fell on deaf ears as the residents went on to burn a house in the village saying it is where the ‘’killers’ reside. Reached for comment, Member of Parliament for Sefhare-Ramokganami, Dr Kesetegile Gobotswang said he was out of the country but will be in Sefhare at the earliest time upon arrival in the country.
“I have heard that the woman was found dead by employees of a Chinese company working on the Tswapong Water pipeline. Initial reports on social media were that the incident was a case of ritual murder but this has since been refuted by the police who informed a packed Kgotla meeting this morning that the victim had no missing parts.
“The station commander also reported that the key suspect has been found dead in what appears to be a case of suicide,” Gobotswang said.