Search for missing Molepolole teen ends…hunt for her killer begins
On Monday evening, 12 days after she went missing, the search for One Motlhabakgomo ended in heartache.
The 19-year-old’s remains were found squashed into a ‘Mo Zimbabwe’ travelling bag, dumped in a shallow grave in a bushy part of Molepolole’s Lekgwapheng ward.
Despite an extensive search of the area, involving members of the community and the police, the teenager was discovered not far from where she disappeared.
The youngster was last seen alive by her aunt on 15 November, leaving home to visit a neighbour.
She never returned. Fearing the worst as this was out of character for the normally reliable young woman, Motlhabakgomo’s relatives reported her missing the next day.
News of her disappearance soon made its way onto social media, with the matter quickly trending amid whispers of a certain pastor’s involvement in the startling beauty’s fate.
On Wednesday, The Voice made the difficult trip to meet with Motlhabakgomo’s loved ones at the family home in Molepolole.
Although at that point the police were yet to formally confirm the body as Motlhabakgomo’s (the confirmation finally came later that afternoon), her uncle, Moshika Ratsoku, 55, said the family were in no doubt that it’s her.
“We were able to identify her by the hairstyle and the clothes she was wearing,” he explained.
Narrating the events that led to Monday’s devastating discovery, Ratsoku revealed, “Around 6pm a certain woman was looking for the traditional vegetable known as ‘leshwe’ which is mostly found in the bush. She sensed a strong smell and when she got closer she discovered some flies and disposed parts of a ceiling, then she went home to inform her children who accompanied her to the scene.”
Having assisted in the search for Motlhabakgomo, the woman and her children tried to contact the police. However, the phones rang unanswered and so they went to alert the missing teen’s family instead.
“We accompanied them to the scene where we were also noticed the same over-powering stench and went to report before Lekgwapheng police. When we dug the shallow grave, we discovered some white cloths wrapped around a bag that contained her body parts. Since it was night, we waited to continue digging the following day. We spent a night with the police guarding the place,” added Ratsoku.
According to Ratsoku, the remains were taken to Scottish Livingstone Hospital, where they are likely to remain for at least two days as the police carry out their investigations.
“If things go well, we plan to lay One to rest on Friday.”
Hours later, the police released a statement informing the public DNA tests had positively identified the body as that of One Motlhabakgomo.
The statement also confirmed she had been murdered, with the cops announcing the launch of an intensive manhunt for 30-year-old Authur Chabale. Labelled ‘the key suspect’, the Matshelagabedi man is believed to be the slain woman’s lover.
Described as a friendly, humble young woman, blessed with stunning good-looks and a heart of gold, Motlhabakgomo was the first born child of three and is survived by her mother, younger brother and sister.
The search for Motlhabakgomo came to a tragic end on Monday; the hunt for her killer/s is just beginning.
