Vlakfontein: Case against suspect accused of killing girlfriend takes a bizarre twist

Three days before South Africa celebrates Women’s Day, a 28-year-old Vlakfontein resident appeared at the Protea Magistrate’s Court, in Soweto, to submit his plea in a murder case involving his deceased girlfriend.

Why is the suspect accused of murdering his girlfriend?

On Sunday, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in the shack that belongs to the suspect that has been subsequently charged with murder.

All that Vlakfontein police know, at the moment, is that the woman may be the suspect’s 41-year-old girlfriend The 28-year-old was taken for questioning by police after it was discovered that his girlfriend was last seen alive in June.

According to the State, that is pursuing the murder charge, it was the suspect that allegedly confessed to killing the woman and led a team of officers to his shack, in Vlakfontein, where the decomposing body of the woman was found buried in a shallow grave.

Vlakfontein murder case takes a bizarre twist

On Tuesday, the 28-year-old appeared at the Protea Magistrate’s Court, in Soweto, where it was expected that he would submit a guilty plea on the charge of murder.

However, in a bizarre turn of events, the suspect accused the police of torturing him into submitting a false confession. The court has been forced to delay proceedings after the 28-year-old was sent for a medical assessment, to determine if there is any truth to this.

When is the next court date?

Gauteng Community and Safety MEC, Faith Mazibuko pleaded with the outraged Vlakfontein community to remain patient while the law takes its course.

“The information that we received from the station commander is that they had to send him for medical assessment in the morning. As you know, suspects will allege that they were tortured at police stations trying to get information,” Mazibuko said.

The court has yet to determine a date for the suspect’s next appearance. Bizarrely, the murder of the 41-year-old woman bears the markings of a multiple murder case that involved Vlakfontein residents.

In October 2018, police made a gruesome discovery in the home of the Khoza family. Seven bodies, including four children and three women, buried in shallow graves in and around the property.

The accused murderers, Ernest Mabaso and Fita Khupe, appeared in court on multiple murder charges but the case has since been dropped.

Mabaso, believed to be the one responsible for the heinous murders committed suicide and the State was forced to drop its charges against Khupe due to lack of sufficient evidence.