17 Dec 2015

An angry mob, today (December 17), destroyed a shopping complex plus several other buildings in Molepolole in what the police described as rage following a court appearance of five men alleged to have murdered Ms Nthabiseng Motlogelwa.

Ms Moltlogelwa was an intern at Molepolole Magistrate Court.

Acting station commander for Molepolole police, Assistant Superintendent Gontse Segale, confirmed the destruction of Highgate Shopping Complex in an interview onsite where Special Support Group backup was dispersing the crowd that had gathered. 

ASP Segale confirmed that the mob had earlier on crammed the court room where the four accused persons appeared.

“The amount of the damage is huge as rioters were throwing stones and other things. From face value, windows and doors have been destroyed while operating stock has been looted,” she said. 

One suspect was arrested and the police together with the SSG said they would patrol the buildings in question overnight.

One of the shop assistants at Highgate Bottle Store, Ms Thomo Olaetse, said around while they were preparing to open around the lunch hour, they heard that a mob was coming to destroy the shopping complex.

She said they pressed the alarm and alerted security who then instructed them to lock the buildings and move out as soon as possible.  

“While we were still running for our lives we saw the mob coming in large numbers and they started throwing stones at the buildings.  They destroyed and took all the beverages in all fridges and they took some of the cash which could not be quantified at the time of print,” she said. 

The five; Keagile Sekwati, Mojalemotho Mokate, Moetapele Kgololo, Mosimanegape Moatshe and Sebeninyana Puso plus others who were absent in court are accused of killing Motlogelwa in October 2015 at or near Mpadithata Lands near Mogonono settlement. Ends