Mourners who gathered to remember Karabo Mokoena yesterday gave chilling accounts of the abuse she endured weeks before she was murdered.
The young woman was described as resilient, confident and driven during a memorial service attended by hundreds of people at the Diepkloof Multipurpose Centre in Soweto, Gauteng.
Mokoena’s close friend told of the last weekend she saw her alive.
“Karabo had a few bruises before then,” said Neo Mohlabane. She said Mokoena, 22, told her: “He tried to finish me, but he couldn’t. Through the grace of God I am still here.”
“She said to me, ‘you know what, Neo, everything might look perfect on the outside, but ke mobe ka hare (I’m ugly on the inside) because he has
hurt me on the inside’, but she said it is well,” Mohlabane said.
“Karabo left us with huge gaping wounds. She complained about how difficult it was to crack the entertainment industry, but ironically she’s now on the lips of everyone in the country.”
Dr Adele Tjale, Mokoena’s spiritual counsellor, said Mokoena was in a space that no woman should be in.
“As a counsellor, you get to know the history that the
children come from. Karabo had beautiful dreams. But there is a strength I never saw in anyone.
“There was a time when she came to my home at around 9pm completely battered. We taught her the Word. She chose Christ and she lived in his path,” Tjale said.
She said she was angry that it was becoming a norm for women to be killed.
Mokoena’s charred remains were found over a week ago in an open field in Bramley, Johannesburg. Her murder sparked national outrage.
Footage from April 28 was retrieved at the place where Mokoena and her boyfriend Sandile Mantsoe stayed, and in the footage, she appeared walking in with the boyfriend, but was never seen leaving.
Mantsoe appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged with murder. He is expected to make a formal bail application on May 24.
Mokoena’s school friend, Nozi Zodube, described her as someone who had a sense of humour, but was also ambitious.
“She wanted to be a DJ, she wanted open a beauty spa, and wanted to be a TV personality. I told her she could be any of those things because she was driven,” Zodube said.
Cousin Boipelo Mokoena, said Karabo’s death had left the family broken and confused. “She used to like following me around. She wanted to be like me. She was a
beauty queen and she was
confident.
“Karabo lived her short life as if she knew her time was close cause she did a lot. Thank you for always being there when I needed you,” Boipelo said.
Among those in attendance were Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi and TV personality Patrick Shai.
Karabo will be burried tomorrow at West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg.