Mom and teen daughter on murder rap for family deaths
A WOMAN who allegedly killed her husband and daughter and buried them under her bed looked relaxed yesterday when she and another daughter appeared in court.
MURDER SUSPECT: Bertha Maretlwa outside the Coligny Magistrate's Court. The North West mother is accused of killing her husband and daughter. PHOTO: VELI NHLAPOBertha Maretlwa, 54, who appeared in the Coligny Magistrate's Court in North West with her 16-year-old daughter, smiled, sipped water from a squeeze bottle and chatted to relatives.
The two are accused of killing her husband Elias Maretlwa, 61, last year and daughter Leku Maretlwa, 23, in 2009.
Magistrate Marthinus van Loggerenburg postponed the case because their legal aid representative was not present.
Next month the prosecution will determine whether to bring additional charges against Maretlwa and her daughter.
The badly decomposed bodies of Maretlwa's husband and daughter were discovered by North West police in a shallow grave inside the bedroom of their house last month.
According to police, the two were allegedly killed by Maretlwa and herdaughter.
After the allegedly killings, Maretlwa and her daughter dug a hole under the bed inside her bedroom where they were buried.
When confronted by the family about her missing husband and daughter, Maretlwa had allegedly told them the two had gone to Botswana to train astraditional healers.
Maretlwa is also alleged to have told the family that they would return on June 16 when a huge welcome ceremony would be held for them.
When the family insisted that she produce the two deceased, Maretlwa had allegedly confessed that she had buried them under her bed in her bedroom.
The family claimed that she said she had buried them in the house because she was poor and could not afford funeral costs.
Maretlwa's husband was a pastor in the National Independent Congregation Church at Tlhabologang township in Coligny.
The house where he and his daughter were buried was also used for Sunday church services.
Elias Maretlwa went missing in November last year and his daughter was reported missing in 2009.
Bertha Maretlwa and her daughter have been charged with two counts of murder.
They will appear again in court on August 20.
The motive for both murders is still not known. - tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
Most Popular
-
No Viewed Articles yet
Comments
batistuta
tjoe hai ndoyisiwe ngoku, abantu banesibindi phandle period. I wish ppl can c this ukba ayo Limpopo, Kzn n E cape zodwa where dez sensless killing coz wht i'v notice nw ppl always blame certain tribe 4everythin in dis site especialy Limpopo ppl n E.c ppl. Bt tjoe lomfazi ungcolile nalentombi yakhe yhoo baphinde babangcwabele endlinReport Abuse
Memme
Mme wo onale sebete neh??You can't say she is capable of such horrible things from this picture,
I guess it's true when they say don't judge the book by its cover.
Report Abuse
kudi
People are siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiickReport Abuse
Mellow
Iyooo some ppl mara k.ill a person and bury them under the same bed you sleeping in? Wonder what the motive is your hubby and child? So she's been on k.illing spree since 2009 hhmmm shame on herReport Abuse
Mokwepa
harerapeleng.......Report Abuse
MommaC
We really do have to introduce Edgar Allen Poe into our reading culture.Don't these folk worry about being haunted?
Report Abuse
Mafesh
Ubuthakathi keh! lobu...EISH!.. this case will be finalised next month and JUB JUB will still be attending till the ANC goes to Mangaung... agga till 2020.. SA maraReport Abuse
MGEEZ
Why is she still allowed to have a custody of the 16 year old daughter when she killed or is alleged to have killed her husband and her other daughter of 23? Shouldn't social services intervene on behalf of the 16 year old until the case has been finalized, thereafter a way forward can be decided upon?Report Abuse
THEmadame2BBBEE
My GOD What the F@k.....................of course she would look relaxed, she's the devil himselfReport Abuse
imd
MXM ...motive still not known???? since 2009 GOSH..........Report Abuse
Read all 29 comments