…says he tried to protect co-accused
Kabelo Masoabi
A murder accused in the High Court has denied taking part in the killing of Monyane Litšoane on 12 March 2021, telling the court that he was instead trying to save his co-accused and neighbour, Fusi Chitja, during a violent confrontation at a stokvel gathering.
Neo Lekoba, of Ha Leutsoa in Mokhotlong, testified that he was wrongly implicated after intervening when members of the community turned on Chitja following a dispute involving Chitja’s wife.
The State alleges that Lekoba, Chitja and Bonang Masiu acted in concert to assault Mr Monyane with fighting sticks and stones, resulting in his death. All three have pleaded not guilty to murder.
Lekoba told the court that the confrontation began when Chitja accused Mr Monyane of having an affair with his wife.
He said Chitja believed the Monyane family was trying to destroy his marriage, alleging that the deceased’s elder brother, Mohlomi, had previously been involved with his wife.
The incident occurred during a stokvel gathering at the home of Lekhanya Litšoane.
Mr Lekoba said neither he nor Masiu assaulted the deceased. Instead, he claimed, they tried to separate Chitja and Mr Monyane when the fight started and later attempted to protect Chitja when other villagers turned against him.
“I and Mr Bonang had never touched the deceased during the altercation he had with Mr Chitja,” Lekoba testified.
He said he and Masiu left the house where they had been drinking after hearing that Chitja and Mr Monyane were fighting.
Upon arrival, he said, the situation escalated after Kokobane Mabanda allegedly called on others to assault him after he told Mr Chitja to run away.
Lekoba said villagers pelted him with stones, forcing him to defend himself with a sjambok.
When the fighting briefly subsided, he said he saw Chitja approach Mr Monyane, who was lying on the ground, and strike him with a fighting stick.
Lekoba testified that he then struck Chitja with a sjambok to stop him.
“I hit Mr Chitja with a sjambok, telling him to stop assaulting Mr Monyane so that we could flee, as the villagers still wanted to fight Mr Chitja and he still wanted to beat Mr Monyane,” he said.
According to Lekoba, the three accused later fled to Sephokong village, where they bought beer and waited for the police after he received a call from Police Officer Lenkoane.
Police subsequently arrived and arrested them.
While waiting, Lekoba said he asked Chitja why he had killed someone over an argument involving traditional beer mixed with a home brew known as mashuthishuthi.
Chitja allegedly told him that the real dispute was over Mr Monyane’s alleged relationship with his wife.
Lekoba said Chitja claimed Mr Monyane had previously dated his wife and that he (Monyane) later became involved with her as well, leading to disputes that eventually resulted in his wife leaving the home.
The State has challenged Lekoba’s account, relying on seven witnesses who testified that they saw the three accused attacking Mr Monyane with fighting sticks and stones.
Sehlooho Litšoane, Mr Monyane’s paternal nephew, testified that the incident began when the accused confronted Mr Monyane and accused him of disrespect for mixing their communal beer with mashuthishuthi.
He said Mr Monyane was unarmed.
According to Mr Sehlooho, the accused assaulted Mr Monyane with fighting sticks and a sjambok. The stokvel organiser intervened and took the three men to a nearby kraal to reprimand them.
Despite Mr Monyane having sustained a bleeding head wound, Mr Sehlooho said the accused returned and resumed the assault.
In key testimony, Mr Sehlooho said that after Mr Monyane collapsed, he overheard Lekoba instructing Chitja to “finish him off”, allegedly warning that Chitja would otherwise be targeted for revenge.
Mr Sehlooho told the court that when he tried to intervene, Lekoba struck him with a sjambok on the hand and body, while Masiu hit him on the head with a stone, causing him to fall.
He alleged that Chitja continued to pelt the prone Mr Monyane with stones, while Lekoba and Masiu attacked Mr Mabanda, who had tried to defend the deceased.
Mr Mabanda corroborated key aspects of the prosecution’s case.
He testified that the accused also accused Mr Monyane of having an illicit relationship with Chitja’s wife.
Mr Mabanda said Mr Monyane asked Chitja to step outside for a private discussion, after which Masiu and Lekoba followed.
Patrons rushed outside after hearing a fight break out and found Mr Monyane already on the ground.
Mr Mabanda said he attempted to intervene, but Masiu struck him with a stick, fracturing his forearm and requiring hospital treatment.
As he tried to flee, he alleged, Lekoba struck him on the side of the head with a stone.
“People became afraid to help Mr Monyane as the accused men continued to attack him and left when they were satisfied. I saw blood and brain matter flowing from Ntate Monyane’s skull,” Mr Mabanda testified.
The court heard that Chieftainess ’Malekhanya Litšoane, who was present at the stokvel, confronted the accused at the scene to ascertain their motive but received no response.
Upon confirming that Mr Monyane was dead, she contacted the Mokhotlong Police Station.
The court heard that police arrested the accused upon their return to the scene. The injured were taken to a health facility, while Mr Monyane’s remains were removed to the mortuary.
Lekoba denied assaulting either Mr Sehlooho or Mr Mabanda, maintaining instead that the two men attacked him and Masiu as they tried to protect Chitja.
The court will now weigh his account against the State witnesses’ evidence as the trial continues before Justice Itumeleng Shale.
