Johannesburg - The teenager arrested and charged with the grisly murder of Itumeleng Khune’s sister Mapula has been set free.
The teenager was supposed to have appeared in the Ventersdorp Children’s Court on Monday. However, he did not appear in court as the matter was not put on the roll due to the National Prosecuting Authority declining to prosecute.
The NPA North West’s Henry Mamothane said there was no sufficient evidence against the 17-year-old.
As a result, the docket has been returned to the police to conduct further investigations and the boy ‒ in custody since Friday ‒ would be released, Mamothane said.
The teenager was arrested on Friday, a day after the charred body of the 27-year-old Mapule was found on a bed in her backroom in Tshing Extension 2, outside Ventersdorp, North West.
After the discovery of Mapula’s body, police opened an inquest but the charge was later changed to murder following the arrest of the teenager.
North West police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Adéle Myburgh said the teenager was arrested on Friday in Ventersdorp and charged with murder.
Asked how the teenager is related to the victim, Myburgh said: “I cannot at this stage reveal more information that can identify him.”
Myburgh also revealed that prior to the teenager’s arrest, residents assaulted some people after accusing them of being behind Khune’s murder.
“Since Friday, additional cases of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm have been reported as community street patrollers and family members have allegedly been assaulting alleged perpetrators for the murder of Khune.
“There are two victims who opened cases. There are others but they did not open cases,” she said.
Myburgh said neighbours saw smoke coming from the house at about 5am on Thursday and called for help.
Firefighters arrived at the back-room and found the body of Mapula on the bed.
“She was in the back-room on top of the bed and only the back-room caught fire.”
Myburgh also confirmed that the body was burnt, but did not elaborate the extent to which it was burnt.
She also confirmed that while there were people in the main house, it was the neighbours who saw the fire and called for help.
IOL