THE man accused of murdering his mum and chopping up her body has pleaded not guilty.
Teboho Mokoena (30) appeared in the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrates Court, Free State, on Tuesday, 21 June for a formal bail application.
Mokoena, who was arrested after hiding on a tree on 8 June, has decided to represent himself. He said he would be safer out on bail, claiming that he was tortured in prison by officials trying to force him to admit to the murder.
“I do not understand the charges against me. I was tortured with a plastic bag put over my head. I nearly suffocated. I’m asthmatic and the blankets in custody are not hygienic. I want to be out so I can explain to my family what happened,” he said.
Investigating officer Tshidiso Maleme opposed bail, adding that they found the deceased with stab wounds to her chest and head and her hands and legs cut off.
“Weapons used to kill her included a saw and a butcher knife, found hidden under the sofa inside a plastic bag.”
The court received a memorandum of grievances from women belonging to different political parties, opposing bail.
The case was postponed to Friday, 24 June, due to a power cut.
