Bobonong man murders girlfriend’s mother, commits suicide

FRANCISTOWN: A 26-year-old man from Bobonong village allegedly killed his girlfriend’s mother before hanging himself. Confirming the incident, Officer Commanding No. 10 District Meshack Pulenyane said they are investigating a murder-suicide incident which took place last week at Kweneng Lands.

According to Pulenyane, the 26-year-old man assaulted his girlfriend aged 19 years on Wednesday who reported him to the police. He said that the police on duty then came in an attempt to take away both the teenage girl and her mother for protection reasons.

He further said the 41-year-old mother insisted on staying behind and informed the police that she will stay at a neighbour’s place for the night. Pulenyane indicated that on the night, they received a report from one of the neighbours indicating that the victim’s house was on fire.

Upon attending to the fire, they found the 41-yearold woman deceased and partly burnt.

He said the next day they found the 26-year-old man’s body hanging from a nearby tree.

Pulenyane said that investigations are ongoing to determine events leading up to the gruesome incident. Rumours from the villagers are that the 26-yearold man allegedly committed the offences after his girlfriend insisted that they end their relationship, something that he did not take kindly to.

Furthermore, it was said that the young woman was no longer interested in the relationship due to different factors.

When she ended things, the deceased man was reported to have gone to a nearby filling station to buy petrol and went to the cattle post where the family was temporarily staying.

It is alleged that he visited different fields in Kweneng Lands pleading for residents to lend him a rope, knife, or other sharp objects.

Additionally, it was also reported that before buying petrol, the deceased man told his family members that he is going after his girlfriend’s family to kill each one of them.

When he arrived at the girlfriend’s field, it is alleged that he took the petrol and poured it on the house and burnt it. He then attacked his girlfriend’s mother with a sharp arrow and stabbed her multiple times leaving her at the scene to die.

It was also shared that the deceased man then attempted to burn a tree close to the same field but failed. He then took a rope and committed suicide.