Accused says it was suicide
Karabo Mokoena murder-accused claims he burnt her body for fear of being accused of having killed her
GSandile Mantsoe says he burnt her body in the veld as he thought no one would believe she had committed suicide. RUESOME details of Karabo Mokoena’s “suicide” involving blood rituals, a tattoo and a mysterious “master” emerged in court this week during the testimony of Constable Helen Mahwete, one of the officers who was called to the crime scene.
Sandile Mantsoe, Karabo’s ex-boyfriend, is accused of killing the young Soweto woman in April 2017. Mantsoe is facing three charges – assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm, murder and defeating the ends of justice. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On day four of the trial at the South Gauteng High Court on Thursday, Mahwete testified that she overheard a conversation between Mantsoe and police officers at the Sandton police station.
The accused told the officers “you need power” for business to work. Mantsoe was explaining the workings of the forex trading business in which he was involved before his arrest.
When he was being questioned by Mahwete, Mantsoe revealed he got his “powers” when he and Mokoena were brought together in a ritual by someone he called “Master”.
The pair sealed the ritual by tattooing their bodies with crosses. Mantsoe refused to reveal the identity or gender of “Master”, Mahwete told the court.
Mantsoe allegedly admitted “Master” had warned them that if they separated, a sacrifice would have to be done. Mantsoe didn’t want to elaborate what this sacrifice was, Mahwete explained to the court.
But Mantsoe told Mahwete that after Karabo, 22, had stabbed herself, he was supposed to take her blood and some of his own to “Master” for a separation ritual. This never happened because Mantsoe was arrested.
“After the story about the cross (tattoo)… he kept saying ‘You will see Karabo’s tattoo.’ I asked how will I see it because her body was burnt beyond recognition… He proceeded to say ‘eish saan, you won’t understand’,” said Mahwete.
Mantsoe remained calm throughout Mahwete’s testimony. However, Mantsoe’s defence advocate Victor Simelane said his client would deny having made the admission.
The second witness was Captain Rogers Mahundla, who took down Mantsoe’s statement after his arrest.
He read it aloud in court, where the accused made claims that Karabo was very aggressive, suicidal and was attracted to the high life when he met her. In the statement, Mantsoe alleged Karabo’s father was abusing her at home.
“She had a miscarriage from her ex, a Nigerian who kicked her on the stomach. She stayed with that man who abused her physically and mentally. He gave her R100 000 a month which made her attracted to this expensive life. (The man’s) friend raped her and that made her depressed.”
Mantsoe claimed that Mokoena had attempted suicide on multiple occasions. One was when she cut herself, another was when she spotted her alleged rapist and fled in Mantsoe’s Mercedes Benz and crashed it in a bid to kill herself. The repairs to the car were a staggering R100 000.
According to Mantsoe, Mokoena again attempted suicide in March 2017, when she drank a lot of pills and called Mantsoe’s mom to confess. She locked herself in and refused to open the door. Mantsoe said security personnel opened the door, and they found an empty sleeping pill packet and a dizzy Karabo.
There was also a suicide note which Karabo later destroyed. Mantsoe said they separated five times while they were together, and that Karabo kept coming back to him. In the build-up to Karabo’s death from April 24 to 27, Mantsoe claimed in the statement they were engaged in sexual activity on many occasions, initiated by Karabo.
Mantsoe said they fought on April 28, and this culminated in him telling her he wanted to end the relationship before taking off, leaving Karabo alone in the apartment.
“On my way back I found Karabo on the floor with blood coming out of her neck. I panicked, I didn’t know what to do because it was a knife. I went to the toilet and wrapped her with a towel. I went out.
“When I came back I took her body to the bathroom. I went to buy a tyre and looked for a place where I could dispose (of) the body. I thought of putting her in the bin because she would fit.
“I put her in the bin and took it to the car and drove to Bramley. I put the tyre around her and burnt her, I didn’t kidnap her; she came on her own to come and see me. I didn’t kill her. She committed suicide. I feared no one would believe me.”
The trial resumes on Tuesday.