Violence ‘nothing new’ for couple
Karabo’s friend tells court how boyfriend ‘lashed out’
WEDNESDAY APRIL 18 2018
AFRIEND of Karabo Mokoena, who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Sandile Mantsoe, told the Johannesburg High Court during his trial she had witnessed violent incidents between the couple.
Mantsoe faces charges of last year killing the 22-year-old, burning her body and dumping it in a veld.
Mokoena’s friend, Puleng Mthethwa, said she had last seen her alive on March 19, 2017 in Soweto. Mokoena and Mantsoe were sitting across from her and she went to say hello.
“Sandile grabbed my arm and said why am I not greeting him first as the head of their household. I then took Karabo (away) and later took her back to Sandile,” said Mthethwa, adding that at one point during the relationship she spent time with the couple every weekend.
“In the beginning they were a loving couple, until I saw incidents happen,” said Mthethwa, who had known Mokoena since 2014 and Mantsoe from 2016.
“The first incident was when Sandile smashed her phone when Karabo refused to let him put his fingerprint on her iPhone.
“We had just returned from dropping off a friend at the airport and Sandile said he would count to 10 and if she didn’t give him the phone, he would smash it.”
In the second incident, Mokoena asked Mantsoe whether he would pay for the damaged phone, and he said no, held her by the neck and pushed her against the wall, saying she had disrespected him.
Mthethwa said in another encounter at Mantsoe’s residence, she was watching TV when she heard an altercation and saw Mantsoe holding a naked Mokoena before throwing her across a glass table.
Mantsoe said he would drop Mokoena off at home, but her friend later told her she had been abandoned on the highway, Mthethwa said.
While Mthethwa testified, Mantsoe raised his hand and asked the court for permission to speak to his lawyer, Advocate Victor Simelani.
The case continues. – African News Agency (ANA)