Pascalinah Kabi
POLICE have launched a manhunt for a Mapoteng man in the Berea district suspected of shooting dead a man from the same village on 4 December.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Clifford Molefe said reports indicate that an argument broke between the deceased and the suspect.
“It is reported that the two men were in the company of other men drinking traditional beer when an argument broke out between the two,” Superintendent Molefe said.
He said the suspect had allegedly lost his cellphone and accused the deceased of stealing it.
He said the suspect allegedly attacked the deceased who went home to collect a sword to defend himself.
“It is alleged that upon returning with the weapon, the suspect shot the deceased in self-defence. The deceased died on the spot. The suspect is on the run and we are looking for him,” he said.
Supt Molefe appealed to the public to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect.
Supt Molefe also commended parents from Nyokosoba in Roma who handed over their 21 year-old son to the police on 4 December to answer charges relating to an incident in which he was allegedly caught grazing his parents’ livestock in a preserved grazing area in the early hours of Sunday.
He said the suspect allegedly set dogs on the community policing members who had gone to the preserved grazing area to apprehend him.
He said although the suspect ran away from police, his parents brought him to Roma Police Station the following day to face charges.
“The first charge is moving with livestock in the night as this contravened Stock Theft Act 2003, section 10 which prohibits people from moving around with livestock at night.
“The second charge is defeating the ends of justice by refusing to corporate with both community policing members and police officers.
“The third charge is running away from the police officers and this charge is in accordance with Penal Code 2010 section 89 read with section 109,” Supt Molefe said.
Supt Molefe praised the suspect’s parents for refusing to “condone crime regardless of who commits it”.
“We urge all parents to stop protecting their children when they are on the wrong side of the law,” he said.
