THABANG Moswane (24) has been found not guilty by reason of mental illness by the Koster Regional Court in North West.
Magistrate Paul Moeng made the ruling about his mental competency on Tuesday, 16 April .
Moswane was arrested in May 2022 for murdering his mum after he was seen drinking her blood from the stab wound.
The court revealed that through the psychiatric report, it was found that his mental illness prevented him from understanding his actions were morally wrong. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a psychotic illness.
Statements from police officers who attended the scene were read in court as evidence.
The statements confirmed that officers were called to the horrific murder incident which happened in Mathopestad near Koster, North West on 9 May 2022.
They then found the 53-year-old mum inside a shack with numerous stab wounds. The officers found Thabang’s twin brother, Thabo Moswane, on the scene.
Thabo's the one who saw his brother drinking the blood from their mum's wound on her neck.
He said he was sleeping when he heard his mum calling for help. He said he woke up and found Thabang stabbing her on the neck and drinking her blood.
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Magistrate Moeng said given the evidence, the state has proved that Thabang indeed murdered his mum.
However, during the time of the offence, Moswane’s mental illness prevented him from understanding that what he was doing was wrong.
Thabang would be held as a state patient at Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital in Mafikeng. He'll temporarily be detained at Mogwase prison while he awaits a bed at Bophelong.
Thabang’s aunty, Naomi Moswane, said they suspected that Thabang was influenced by Satanism.
She said they didn't know him as mentally disturbed.
"If he is mentally disturbed then let him go to the relevant authorities. As for us, we won’t know what to do with him," she said.
Naomi said they will never welcome him back due to safety issues. She emphasised that if Thabang is not mentally stable then he is not safe to live with as he can still repeat what he did to his mother.
