Four in court for death of boy in hit-and-run

28/07/2014. Sara Mothapo who is facing charges of defeating the ends of justice leaves the Shoshanguve Magistrate Court. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

28/07/2014. Sara Mothapo who is facing charges of defeating the ends of justice leaves the Shoshanguve Magistrate Court. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

Published Jul 29, 2014

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Pretoria - Courtroom B of the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court was packed on Monday when four people accused of conspiring to hide details about a car accident that killed a little boy appeared.

Community members and the ANC Women’s League sat in the gallery as Sarah Mothapo, Warrant Officer Samuel Kgalakgosi, attorney Confidence Rikhotso and Wilhelmina Rapule appeared on charges of defeating the ends of justice. They are accused of lying about who the driver of a Jeep that killed Olerato Chiloane-Makena in Soshanguve last year was.

The 5-year-old boy was hit and killed by the car allegedly driven by Mothapo. It is alleged that she and her passenger, Rapule, conspired and asked Mantshole Moekwa to take responsibility for the accident.

Moekwa stood trial for culpable homicide, but has since turned State witness against the four.

Kgalakgosi was the investigating officer in the culpable homicide and Rikhotso is Mothapo’s advocate and the two are alleged to have known about the plot. The culpable homicide case against Moekwa, who was allegedly promised R15 000, has been withdrawn. The four were arrested 14 months after Olerato was killed.

Mothapo’s boyfriend Donald Khoza and another man, David Shabalala, are still being sought in connection with the case.

Mothapo, 31, Kgalakgosi, 45 and Rikhotso, 34, were each released on R2 000 bail on Monday.

Granting them bail, magistrate Hanlie Luu said the trio should not contact Moekwa. They were also ordered not to leave Gauteng and to get written permission from the investigating officer if they intended to. Rapule, 42, has been out on bail since last week.

Prosecutor Alecia Kruger said Mothapo would be charged with culpable homicide.

The four will be back in court on September 23.

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