Johannesburg - The man accused of killing 26-year-old Thokoza lesbian Duduzile Zozo and shoving a toilet brush up her vagina was a neighbour who lived in a street behind hers.
Not only was Lekgoa Lesley Motleleng a neighbour but he was also one of the mourners who attended Zozo’s night vigil the day before her burial, to comfort the family and offer condolences.
On Monday, the very same people who had attended the vigil with the 22-year-old man a few months ago packed courtroom 1 in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court to have a look at him.
There was commotion as he came out of the holding cells and walked into the dock, with many craning their necks to see him.
Zozo’s mother Thuziwe went to stand closer to the dock to get a closer look.
Leaning forward with her eyes squinted, she looked carefully at Motleleng, who kept his gaze down throughout his court appearance.
Next to Thuziwe, Dudu’s older sister, Zukisani, was taking pictures of Motleleng with her cellphone camera.
On June 30, Zozo’s half-naked body was discovered lying in the yard of a house opposite hers.
Apart from a toilet brush shoved up her vagina, there was no blood at the scene and no signs indicating a struggle had occurred.
On Friday, Motleleng was arrested and charged with Zozo’s murder. The police believe he strangled her.
Motleleng abandoned his intention to apply for bail as he made his first court appearance on Monday.
His case was then postponed to December for further investigations.
As the court orderly led him down the stairs, people shouted at him. “Go, Satan, and die there,” one woman shouted.
“They should make a wife out of you,” another one yelled.
Speaking outside court, Thuziwe said that what hurt her a lot was the fact that her daughter’s alleged killer was her neighbour; someone who could have been Zozo’s younger brother.
“How could he do that? He is my neighbour. I was not expecting that it (the alleged killer) was someone in my area.
“I never suspected that he could do that to Dudu. My heart is so sore, it is as if I have enemies in Thokoza. You can’t trust anyone.” she said.
Thuziwe praised the police for the good work in finding her daughter’s alleged killer.
People who knew Motleleng painted a picture of a young man who had no friends and no girlfriend, and kept to himself.
“The way he is so quiet, you would never have thought he could do that,” said Thokoza resident Sihle Mofokeng.
He said Motleleng was originally from the Free State and had been living in Thokoza for five years.
“He is so quiet, and now I see that he was hiding evil underneath all that,” the man added.
“He knew Dudu. And while they were not friends, they knew each other.
“After Dudu was found dead, residents went to the house where her body was found, but Motleleng did not.
“He was also not at the memorial service.
“He attended her night vigil but not the funeral,” the 24-year-old man said.
The Star