Boyfriend in the dock

A MAN who killed his girlfriend before he burnt and buried her body in his backyard briefly appeared in the Moretele Magistrate’s Court in Hammanskraal yesterday to apply for bail. Thabo James Dube, 38, who is accused of killing the mother of his young child, had previously abandoned his bail application. Dube looked straight at the magistrate and avoided eye contact with the people packed in the public gallery during the proceedings. He was arrested after he confessed to killing Meisie Molefe on October 6, police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele earlier said. Dube took police to the spot where he allegedly buried the 36-year-old woman. Her remains were exhumed. Dube reported Molefe as missing on October 26, and turned himself in three months later. Makhubele said he confessed to hitting her on the head with an object, and when he realised he had killed her, he dragged her into the backyard to bury her. He used petrol, oil and wood to set her alight. The deceased was burnt beyond recognition. The family were still awaiting the DNA results of her remains yesterday. Molefe, who was a breadwinner, had three children aged 12, eight and two. She also looked after her two brothers, one of whom is disabled, and who are now orphaned. The government has offered to assist the family and ensure that the children are taken care of. The case was postponed to February 9 when Dube is expected to launch a new bail application. – ANA