Murder and rape accused claims he was dating one of his alleged victims

05 May 2016 - 16:39 By Ntwaagae Seleka

An alleged murderer and rapist claimed on Thursday that he was dating one of his alleged victims. Thapelo Motseki‚ 32‚ told the packed South Gauteng High Court sitting in Palm Ridge that he was in a secret relationship with Lungile Kubheka‚ 15.Motseki said he and Lungile who lived close to his home in Sanke Park‚ Soweto‚ hid their relationship from their families.He said on August 3 2013‚ Lungile visited him at his parental home in Snake Park‚ where they spent time together and later had sexual intercourse.After they had had sex around 6pm‚ Motseki claimed that he accompanied Lungile to his gate fearing that her brother might see him.“The following day I left for work. Before I could leave‚ my uncle told me about Lungile's body at the corner of our street. I then went there to check if it was true. Thereafter‚ a car arrived to fetch me and I went to work‚” he said.Motseki also denied raping and killing his colleague Cinthiah Setuke‚ 36‚ on the night of October 8‚ 2013‚ while they were working underground at Aquarius Platinum Mine.He confirmed that he was on duty at the time and disappeared after being told to look for a key by his senior colleague.Instead‚ he went and slept for a while and returned without the key.He claimed that he later learnt from his colleague about a woman who had been found dead in the mine.Motseki also claimed he was scratched by a falling rock on his face and disputed earlier evidence that the scratch marks were caused by human nails.He also denied earlier evidence by his former girlfriend Nqobile Nkosi that while in police custody he asked her bring him poison to commit suicide because he regretted what he had done.Motseki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder‚ four of rape and three of kidnapping.His alleged victims include Setuke‚ Emerencia Botshelo Kgakatsi‚ 17‚ Lungile and Thembelihle Dlamini‚ 16.It is alleged that Motseki raped and killed Setuke while they were working underground at Aquarius Platinum Mine. Setuke's half-naked body was later found by her colleagues. Botshelo was last seen alive on April 30 2013 in Seraleng near Rustenburg on her way to visit her boyfriend Koketso Mosime in Kanana near Rustenburg.Her body was found the following day in Seraleng after she was last seen in the company of Motseki the previous night.Lungile's body was found on August 6‚ 2013 in a yard opposite her parental home in Snake Park‚ Soweto‚ while Thembelihle's body was found on May 25‚ 2014‚ in a yard a few houses away from her Snake Park home.The trial continues- TMG Digital/Sowetan..

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