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By OBAKENG MAJE
The Modise family in Khudutlou village near Taung said they will not rest until the person who killed their daughter, Gosego Modise (19) is behind bars. It was a sombre moment on Saturday as Gosego was laid to rest.
Seabo High School learner’s body was discovered in an unused pat latrine on 5 September 2021 morning after being strangled to death. It is alleged that Gosego went on a drinking spree with a close family friend who is known to Taung DailyNews before meeting her untimely death.
The suspect allegedly assaulted her after she refused to go and sleep with him. The deceased’s aunt, Gadifele Modise said they are not happy with how the police have handled this matter.
“The police kept us in the dark regarding the murder investigations. We just saw in the media that the suspect has been released. We had to go to the police to get more details on what has transpired.
“Now, the police told us that they have released the suspect because all witnesses in this matter were drunk. Gosego’s death has affected us as a family and we will not leave any stone unturned in the quest to find justice for her. What is also surprising is that the police have released her body without autopsy results,” she said.
Gadifele alleged that the family of the suspect ‘might have bribed the police to conceal evidence.’ She said the police also squashed allegations that Gosego was raped before being murdered but they do not believe it.
“They say the suspect does not deny that Gosego has bitten him on his hand after a commotion ensued between the two. The suspect insists that he left Gosego behind when going home. But some of the witnesses refute his version and say he was the last person seen with Gosego.
“It is also alleged that the suspect elbowed Gosego in her face and she developed a swollen eye. The police have released the deceased’s body without postmortem outcomes and we believe the is something sinister they are hiding,” Modise said.
North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Amanda Funani said the police have opened a murder case and investigations are underway. Funani said no arrests have been made thus far.
Meanwhile, Monantsi Kgatwe (21) who was a friend to the deceased described her as a bubbly and loving person. Kgatwe said she was with Gosego at a tavern during that fateful night but left her behind after the tavern was closed.
“Gosego liked finer things and she was larger than life. She was always bubbly and liked to joke around. We met after school on that day and I met her in a tavern later on while in the company of the suspect.
“Her death has affected us all and we hope the police find her killer. We are living in different times where Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is rife and we urge our law enforcement agencies to arrest the perpetrator/s so that my friend can get justice,” Kgatwe said.
Community Development Worker (CDW) in the area, Tebogo Motshebe said: “We call on all men to take a stand in a fight against GBV. We have lost a young life that has a brighter future ahead of her. As men, we must be ashamed of ourselves, but we have a responsibility in identifying and treating the underlying causes of GBV.
“So, I urge all men to be steadfast and fight this cause. We urge the police to speedily arrest the suspect and all those witnesses to come forward so that Gosego can receive justice,” Motshebe said.
Meanwhile, the Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) president, Dr Mbahare Kekana visited the family on 10 September 2021. ANC Women’s League in the area was also part of the proceedings.
The Guardian 