Pretoria - A Brits man is facing a murder charge in the North Gauteng High Court after the body of his eight-months-pregnant girlfriend was found in her Brakpan flat with a stab wound to her chest.
The body of Baleseng Onicca Motshwane, 32, was discovered on February 5 last year by her concerned colleagues. They went to her flat after she had failed to arrive for work for several days.
Johannes Tshepo Nkomo, 34, has pleaded not guilty to the murder or that he stole R3 000 in cash from her.
CCTV camera footage handed to the court shows Nkomo standing at two different ATMs soon after the death of his girlfriend.
The State alleges he withdrew money using her stolen bank card.
But Nkomo said he knew nothing about her death. He said he last saw her on the Sunday morning, after spending the weekend with her. Before her death she borrowed money from him, he said.
The victim’s mother, Johanna Motshwane, testified her daughter was eight months pregnant with the accused’s child. The families were due to meet about the baby, but they never got around to it.
Her daughter was to visit her that weekend, but she told her mother her boyfriend was coming to visit. The mother tried to phone her daughter after the weekend, but only got voicemail.
The tearful woman, wearing a T-shirt bearing her daughter’s picture, told Judge George Webster she became increasingly worried and phoned her daughter’s work. Her colleagues told her she had not reported for work.
Motshwane and her family went to her daughter’s flat on February 5 last year. She knew something was wrong when she saw the police and paramedics outside the building.
The mother said she then saw her daughter’s body inside the flat.
A colleague, Potlako Moorosi, testified that when the victim did not arrive for work on the Monday, a secretary phoned her home, but there was no answer. They became worried the next day after her family phoned to ask whether anyone had seen her.
He went to her home and knocked, but there was no answer. “I looked through the keyhole and saw the key hanging inside. I smelt something like rotten meat.”
He discovered her body on her bed.
The victim’s brother, Tshegofatso Motshwane, said on his way to his sister’s Brakpan flat , he phoned the accused to hear whether he had seen his sister. Nkomo did not answer, but phoned back later.
He said he last saw his girlfriend on the Sunday. He promised to phone her work, but her colleagues said no one but her mother phoned.
Swazi Kupheka, who worked with the victim, told the Pretoria News she was exited about her baby. She described Baleseng as reserved and a lovely woman.
Commission for Gender Equality members attended the proceedings to give support to the family.
Pretoria News