A 38-year-old man confessed before court to torching his former lovers’ house for bringing other men at home while he was away.
The accused, Olebile Khudu, told Molepolole Magistrates’ Court he burnt all the properties he bought, including the house, as he had built it for the girlfriend.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Batsalelwang Mosebola, dismissed Khudu’s defence because the house did not belong to him even though he claimed to have built it.
Khudu was accused of setting 39-year-old Gomotsegang Khumo’s house on fire and destroying property worth P31, 400 on 26 August 2019.
He is said to have torched a mud hut before he proceeded to toss fire to a three-roomed house.
Khumo was fortunately awakened by her neighbours’ screams alerting her that her house was ablaze while sleeping at her mother’s house as Khudu had earlier threatened to kill her.
When Magistrate Kefilwe Resheng asked Khudu if he knew the seriousness of the offence, he said he was aware that he could be locked up for 10 years, prompting the visibly agitated magistrate to remind him that he could be locked up for life.
“Ga ke a iketla, ga go diragetse go diragetse (I am not relaxed, if it had happened, it happened),” said Khudu, much to the amusement of the court. Date of judgment was set for Thursday 26 March.
After the hearing, Khudu and Khumo walked out of the court gallery together going home as if nothing had happened.
