Sandile Mantsoe says the only thing he could be found guilty of is trying to build Karabo Mokoena. Mantsoe was speaking at the Gauteng South High Court where he had just been found guilty of murdering Mokoena, his ex-girlfriend.
“I tried to be a positive influence in her life. But it was unfortunate that I came to her life at the point where things were really bad. Maybe I’m guilty of trying to build a person and being the last one there when she collapsed,” says Mantsoe.
Mokoena’s charred remains were found in an open veld in Johannesburg’s eastern suburb of Lyndhurst in April last year.
Acting Judge Piet Johnson says Mantsoe was not an honest witness. He said Mantsoe lied about Mokoena’s alleged previous attempted suicide so it could suit his version of how she was killed.
#KaraboMokoena‘s father breaks into tears as the judge continues to make damning findings against Mantsoe’s evidence..”he is not an honest witness,” the judge says. #sabcnews
— Manqoba Mchunu (@ManqobaMchunu) May 2, 2018
Johnson says Mantsoe planned the disposal of the body carefully.
Johnson says he is satisfied with the state’s case. He says there was no justification for Mantsoe to kill Mokoena.
