This revelation was made by an official at the court as the magistrate asked why murder accused John Moletsane was not in court. The clerk explained that the court appearances of inmates are captured on an online system and owing to power outages, court officials were unable to see whether or not Moletsane was supposed to appear at the court today. Moletsane is accused of poisoning six-year-old Itumeleng Morake in November last year by feeding her poison at her mother’s home in Phase 7, Bloemfontein. OFM News’ Pulane Choane reports that he is expected to appear at the court again tomorrow.

The magistrate then told the prosecutor and defence that Moletsane will be expected to make his appearance at the court tomorrow morning. His last appearance at the court was on Monday, 3 December, and he was denied bail and therefore remains behind bars. Meanwhile, the issue of load-shedding now brings into the spotlight how many cases provincially and both nationally are delayed by power outages, as well as whether or not these affected state-owned legal institutions that neither have generators nor alternative means of back-ups which are expected to kick in and provide power when the main supply fails.

Morake allegedly died at the hands of Moletsane, her mother’s former lover, as it is alleged that he poisoned her last year. According to information provided by family members who had attended the court proceedings today, Moletsane tricked Morake’s grandmother, as he bought himself one quart of beer and then sat with her, making her think that he was just visiting the family. He, the grandmother and the child all sat together as they made small talk. He then allegedly stepped out and asked to speak to the child, following which, he then allegedly made her drink an unknown substance. Shortly thereafter, he left the Morake residence, however, the child ran to her grandmother to complain about stomach pains. Six-year-old Morake shortly thereafter died. “By the time the ambulance arrived, she had already died,” the chairperson of the ANC Women's league in the Free State, Mapaseka Nkoane, told OFM News. Nkoane and other members of the league were at the court to provide support to Morake's mother, Puleng. 

Meanwhile, Nkoane told OFM News that the League and members thereof were angered by the crime and the brutality of it and would continue to stand alongside the mother until justice is served. The child was buried in mid-December last year. According to an article by The Daily Sun, the Free State Premier, Sefora Ntombela, helped the family bury their child as they at the time indicated that they did not have the money or resources to do it themselves.

OFM News