“We are still asking ourselves why this happened, but only God knows,” are the words of David Marokane, the uncle of the 14-year-old Rebotile Moloto, who was allegedly brutally murdered by her stepfather, Andrew Mehlape 48, expressing disbelief over the crime.
Earlier on Monday, IOL News reported that Mehlape would appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo, on murder charges.
Mehlape was arrested for the brutal murder of his Grade 9 stepdaughter at Ga-Thoka village, outside the Mankweng, in the Capricorn district.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said Rebotile was on her way to school accompanied by a fellow learner when Mehlape attacked her with a sharp object, stabbing her several times before leaving her on the road, last week on Friday.
Police found her in a pool of blood, still in her school uniform.
She was declared dead at the scene. Mehlape was arrested in Polokwane after a search.
Ledwaba added that a domestic dispute between Mehlape and the victim's mother occurred the night before the murder.
Magistrate Arshard Chaya postponed the case for Mehlape’s legal aid application, which will be considered on March 24. He will remain in custody until then.
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Meanwhile, speaking with the media outside the court, Marokane said the family was still in shock.
“Since the news of Rebotile broke, the whole family was quite devastated and we are struggling to accept this,” he said.
Marokane expressed that the family’s only question is “why?” but said they have found no answers.
“Some people don’t value human life,” he added.
He confirmed that Mehlape was not Rebotile’s biological father and that the couple had been having domestic disputes.
Marokane said the victim’s mother has been struggling to cope.
“It's very difficult for us to accept this, especially the mother. She’s still in shock.”
Marokane criticised Mehlape for showing no remorse inside the court.
“He was not showing any remorse. He just looked at us and raised his hands, showing no regrets,” Marokane said.
Virginia Malemela, chairperson of the school governing body (SGB) at the Klaas Mothapo Secondary School, where Rebotile attended, said the death has left other learners fearful.
“Now our children are scared to go to school. Mehlape deserves a life sentence for what he did,” Malemela said.