Rustenburg – Six petrol bombs were used to burn down a house in Tlhabane near Rustenburg where three family members were killed, the North West High Court heard on Tuesday.
“The accused told me he bought petrol. He had six beer bottles which he had filled with fine particles of crushed stone. He manufactured petrol bombs and threw them into a house, setting it on fire,” Letlhogonolo Mokgofa told the court sitting in Rustenburg.
He was testifying in the trial of Nicholas ‘Molefe’ Ntsimane, 38, who is standing trial on 14 charges ranging from murder, attempted murder, robbery, culpable homicide, arson, armed robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and live ammunition.
Mokgofa who charged together with Ntsimane but, all charges against him were withdrawn on Monday and he turned State witness.
Ntsimane pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges against him.
The State alleges that he petrol bombed a house in Bester, Tlhabane on May 16, last year killing Kealeboga Segopa, 30, her eight-month-old daughter Kaboyaona, and her 55-year-old mother Mmapula. They were dedclared dead on arrival at a local hospital after they suffered from smoke inhalation. They were pulled out of the burning house by neighbours.
Ntsimane is a close relative to the family.
Mokgofa told the court Ntsimane had accused his aunt (Mmapula Segopa) of killing his father and was also bewitching him, as such he wanted to kill her.
After their arrest Ntsimane told him, his aunt could had killed him on the weekend of May 16, 2015 if he did not petrol bomb her house.
Ntsimane was arrested on May 29, 2015 on an armed robbery and hijacking case in which he allegedly robbed an off-duty police officers his service pistol and drove off with the officer’s car in Tlhabane in December 2014
Detective found during questioning that he was directly linked to the murder of the Segopa family. He was found in possession of a firearm and eight rounds of live ammunition.
Mokgofa was arrested on May 30, in Tlhabane West. He was found in possession of a firearm and three rounds of live ammunition.
He also testified how they went to Tlaseng near Rustenburg to robbed two of Ntsimane’s relatives. At that time Ntsimane gave him a firearm and showed him how it works. He kept the firearm after the robbery and the police found it in his possession when he was arrested.
One witness Elizabeth Ntsimane of Tlaseng , told the court how she was robbed of her car and a television set.
She said she was ill on April 22, 2015, and was sleeping when son came running into her bedroom followed by two armed men. One covered his face and the other did not cover his face.
The two pointed her with firearm while she was still on bed, and tied his brother who was also ill with a tape.
“They pointed us with guns and demanded the car keys, they also ordered us not to scream. The one who had covered his face told the other one to guard us as he was going to take the car key in the cupboard. He took the car out of the garage. He returned and took the television set.”
Moment later she heard the car driving out of the yard and realised the gunmen were gone. The car was recovered few days later but, the television was not recovered.
The trial continues.
African News Agency