A 39-year-old man has been remanded in custody by a Molepolole Magistrates’ Court for allegedly setting his girlfriend’s house on fire.
Onkgopotse Korononeo from Molepolole’s Goo-Kotwana ward had earlier attempted to burn the house but changed his mind and instead reported to the police about his differences with his girlfriend.
The police let him go with a caution, but he went ahead and torched the house.
Korononeo was charged with arson on August 16th, 2024, for burning down 42-year-old Kelebogile Cathrene Mokwena’s house at Mokgalo ward in Lentsweletau.
Nothing was retrieved from the burnt one-roomed house with property that included 40 plastic chairs, a double bed, bedding, stove and a gas cylinder, all amounting to P16 906.
After prosecution pleaded with the court for Koroneo to be remanded in custody, he admitted having committed the offence, but a formal plea was reserved as the police were still to investigate the matter.
“I committed the offence but there is no truth about the mentioned burnt property that the victim claimed were inside the house. I want to be granted bail to focus on my health,” said Koroneo who was then informed by the magistrate that health facilities are available at prison.
The investigating officer, Constable Lebakeng testified that earlier on the day of the incident Korononeo had gone to the police station to report he was about to commit a crime.
“He handed the police a knife and told them of his earlier intention to burn his girlfriend’s house. The police intervened and went to search for the girlfriend, and they found her at an entertainment venue. They accompanied her to her house where upon arrival they found a lit candle and they closed the gas cylinder that was opened, before attempting to reconcile the couple,” explained Constable Lebakeng.
According to the police officer, Korononeo promised the police that he would spend the night at his grandmother’s place in Lentsweletau.
He then requested the police to assist him collect his belongings from the girlfriend’s house the next day.
However, later the same night, around 10pm Mokwena reported to the police that Korononeo had burnt down her house.
Constable Lebakeng strongly opposed Korononeo’s bail arguing that he posed danger to both himself and the victim as he first went to the police in possession of a knife and later committed a crime.
She further expressed concern that the accused might interfere with witnesses since the matter was still fresh and they needed more time to investigate.
“He is not a trustworthy person; he failed to keep his promises to the police and went ahead and committed the offence,” added Lebakeng.
The court remanded Korononeo in custody until the next mention scheduled for September 19th, 2024.
