Murder suspect implicated in second grisly killing
“I wish I can strangle you with these cuffs and bang you on the ground with them,” was the warm welcome a double-murder accused reserved specially for The Voice’s reporter when arriving at court on Tuesday morning.
For the second time this year, 23-year-old Thabo Robert found himself hauled before Francistown Magistrates Court accused of killing another man.
The father-of-three is one of three men implicated in the murder of Mbotho Motsamai, 34, who was stabbed to death outside a bar in Matshelagabedi in the early hours of 3 September.
It seems Robert had fled to the border village six days earlier, running from the law after reportedly leaving another man for dead in an apparent unprovoked late night knife-attack in Ghetto’s Colored location.
After three months in hospital, that man, 30-year-old John Maseko, lost his battle for life on Friday, succumbing to the wounds he sustained in the 28 August assault.
Out on bail, Robert appeared for mention in the Matshelagabedi matter on Monday, where the waiting cops swooped, hitting the suspect with murder charge number two.
Admitting the boys in blue had been left red faced, the Investigating Officer (IO), Bakisani Soba told court no charges were previously laid against Robert in the Maseko incident as they had wrongly believed he was still in jail.
“We didn’t realise he had been given bail. Then on the 26th of November we received a report from his girlfriend that she had been assaulted by the accused. We also met with some of the Colored residents who told us they live in fear because of him,” disclosed Soba.
Securing the suspect’s remand, state prosecutor, Moathodi Macheng said locking Robert up was for his own protection as well as society’s.
Given the chance to address court, the accused killer maintained it was all a mistake.
“I did not do it deliberately, it happened but it was not intentional. I have three kids, if I am taken back to prison who will look after them?” he enquired, his tough-talking antics from earlier having melted away.
He will return to court on Friday (1st December) to find out if his plea for freedom is successful.
This is not the first nor even the second time Robert finds himself in the headlines for the wrong reasons. In December 2021, he appeared before Francistown Magistrate Court for allegedly hacking Kenosi Mareko in the head with a machete.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Voice from the family home in Colored, Maseko’s grieving uncle, Botlhale Maseko 34, revealed his nephew’s death came unexpectedly.
“John left home to check on the mother of his child and that is where he was stabbed in the wee hours. We do not know what really transpired and are still shocked as a family,” said Botlhale, speaking between stifled sobs.
“He was stabbed on the head and hand. He’d been in ICU for a long time and was then taken to the male ward. It looked like he might recover but sadly it was not to be and he died.
“He was a jolly person who loved everyone. We really lost a good man and it is so painful,” concluded the upset uncle.
Maseko will be laid to rest on Saturday, with his funeral to be held in Colored. The slain man leaves behind a daughter.
