DISTRAUGHT MORAMAGA FAMILY DEMANDS ANSWERS AND JUSTICE

Distraught members of the Moramaga family are demanding answers and justice for the deaths of their loved ones Tshiamo Moramaga (21) and Baleseng Moragama.

The two deceased Moragama ladies were shot and killed in the early hours of Sunday morning and their corpses were dumped at one of the streets in Extension 17, Far East of Mamelodi.

Deceased Baleseng and
Tshiamo Moramaga photo supplied

Though rumours abound regarding the two ladies’ deaths, the Moragama family members say they are still waiting for answers and are demanding justice for the deaths of Tshiamo and Baleseng Moragama, who were cousins and very close to each other and also lived in the same family house in Extension 17, Far East of Mamelodi.

A house belonging to a man suspected to be responsible for their deaths was allegedly set on fire by armed men on Sunday, the same day the girls were shot and killed.

It is alleged that the suspect works as a panel beater at his home fixing cars and also as a bouncer at one of the taverns in the area, where the girls had allegedly spent Saturday night before they were killed on Sunday morning.

The suspect, who is 38 years old and can’t be named as he has not been charged as yet, will appear in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court in Mamelodi West on Wednesday.

Tshiamo and Baleseng Moragama will be buried in Groblersdaal this coming Saturday.

It has also been reported that a third victim of this incident has been hospitalised and is being treated for gunshot wounds.

At the time of her death, Baleseng was working as an assistant teacher at one of the local schools, while Tshiamo was a first year student in beauty studies.

The cousin of the deceased Nthabiseng Buthelezi told Tshwane Talks that as a family they can’t really say how their loved ones were killed because they were not there at the time of their demise, but that they were called to the scene after bodies of Tshiamo and Baleseng Moragama were found in the street.

“We have merely read details of what led to their deaths on social media and we can’t rely on social media, but all that we know for sure is that we found Tshiamo and Baleseng’s corpses sprawled in the streets with bullet wounds on their bodies,” she said.

She said at the moment it was still confidential to say whether or not her cousins had a relationship with the arrested suspect, this as the police are still in the process of interrogating him.

She described the deceased ladies as bubbly, outgoing and fun-loving individuals who were ever-smiling.

She revealed that in most cases she went out to places of fun with the deceased ladies.

“For us reality has not yet set in that they are gone forever; we still think that one day we will see them alive again,” said Buthelezi.

“Justice must be served and what is painful is that we are going to bury two members of our family; like one death would not have been enough,” lamented Buthelezi.

“Tshiamo and Baleseng grew up together, they did everything together and they even attended the same pre-school as toddlers.

Buthelezi was non-committal regarding the reinstatement of the death penalty to punish those found guilty of murder in South Africa.

“But it is painful to see a murderer going to jail but being fed, clothed and given shelter there, whilst we as the bereaved family will forever live with the pain of losing our loved ones,” she said.

Buthelezi decried what she called irresponsible and insensitive actions of people who post stories on social media regarding the events that led to the deaths of her cousins, this as such posts worsen the already painful situation that the family finds itself in already.

Meanwhile, Soil of Africa civic movement chairperson Bongani Ramontja said it was shocking and deeply outrageous that such an incident has happened; adding that it’s not the first time that an incident if this nature has taken place in Mamelodi because close to twenty women have been killed under circumstances which are almost similar to the killing of Tshiamo and Baleseng Moragama.

He pointed out that the murder incident, like many other such incidents, has connections with taverns/pubs and drugs.

“The government and the Municipality must make sure that drugs are rooted out in Mamelodi and that pubs and taverns are monitored to make sure they close businesses in accordance with the regulated time,” he said.

“These heinous incidents lead one to conclude that Mamelodi has been invaded by terrorists who are bent on annihilating the community; especially young girls and as Soil of Africa we will make a plan and put a stop to the rot, with the help of the police of course,” vowed Ramontja.

“Soldiers must be brought into Mamelodi township to confiscate illegal firearms and we are appealing to the police to do their job to prevent crimes of this nature,” said Ramontja as he in the process threatened that his organisation would shut down Mamelodi if these senseless killings are not stamped out by the police.

Ramontja bemoaned the fact that only last week a woman was killed in Nellmapius, near Mamelodi, under circumstances that are almost similar to the ones Tshiamo and Baleseng Moragama were killed.