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IN HAPPIER DAYS: Matthew 'Mateu' Ramagoshi and Agnes Merriam Ramagoshi on their wedding day.

Her son Kgatlhiso who died six years ago.

 She fought for human rights 

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A PRIMARY school deputy principal and "abusive man" is facing a murder charge after allegedly dousing his sick wife with petrol and setting her alight during an argument.

Agnes Merriam Ramagoshi, 45, of Block L Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, was set alight on June 15.

She had been discharged that day from hospital where she was being treated for stress.

This was related to the loss of her only child, Kgatlhiso, six years ago.

Matthew "Mateu" Ramagoshi, 50, a deputy principal at a school in Soshanguve, is also accused by the family of abusing Kgatlhiso who died aged 21.

He is alleged to have been violent with the young man, including bashing his head against the walls of the house.

"He used to hit his head against the walls of the house and throw him on the floor," a family member claimed.

An autopsy report attributed Kgatlhiso's death to a brain tumour and a cracked skull.

The wife, an anti-women abuse campaigner and employee of the South African Revenue Services, died on the morning of Women's Day (August 9) at Akasia Hospital in Pretoria.

Her distraught mother Helena "Molly" Mogoboya said: "I have lost a loving daughter and a grandson at the hands of that abusive man."

Her daughter was still struggling to find closure for Kgatlhiso's death in 2006, she said.

"She had just returned from spending three weeks in hospital," Mogoboya said.

SAPS spokesman for Soshanguve, Warrant Officer Matthew Nkoadi, said Ramagoshi was arrested on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after the incident in June.

However, the case was provisionally withdrawn in the Soshanguve Magistrate's Court on July 11 as the victim was still in a critical condition in hospital.

Nkoadi said now that the victim had died, "a charge of murder would be added to the docket, which would then be referred to the prosecutor for his decision on whether he should be arrested immediately, or a new court date be set for his appearance".

Mogoboya said the deceased arrived home on June 15 and found her husband preparing to leave for a wedding in Limpopo and he insisted on using his wife's car for the trip.

She tried in vain to persuade him to abandon the trip as she had just been discharged from hospital.

"When the situation became worse, she called us at about 7pm saying that her husband was being aggressive and was threatening her," Mogoboya said.

"He was also stopping her from coming [to our] home [in the same section]."

Upon realising the seriousness of the situation, her younger daughter Oratilwe, 22, rushed to the couple's house and found Ramagoshi, who had sustained burns to both hands, leaving to drive himself to hospital in the victim's car.

"By then my daughter had sustained severe burns but managed to crawl out of the house through a side door and scream for help," Mogoboya said.

"Neighbours came to her assistance and also called emergency services. As there was a delay with the emergency services, a neighbour drove her to hospital."

• This article was first published in the printed newspaper and eEdition on Monday 13 August 2012

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Thu Jun 20 12:11:40 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 14, 2012

Memme

Im lost of words....
Bjale gona gona go lekane. Jehovah now you need to stop all these terrible things from happening, It's enough !!!!!
People are behaving like animals it's so sad really.
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Aug 14, 2012

Cl!ck

Retards are not allowed to get married.. They should rather mate with Gorr!llas & Orangutans.. Period!!

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Aug 14, 2012

Kaylae

Tjeeeeer I now wonder what we wake up next to everyday of our lives,this man is a M0nster that doesn't deserve an justice but to be hanged by his ba!!s i'm so angry how can one be so evil.it wasn't enough that he k!lled his own flesh and blood by banging he had to k!ll the poor woman as well.Men who does these h0rror have self-esteem problems
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Aug 14, 2012

Chichi7

Oh South Africa... where are we going as a nation with so much violence. How can humans be so cruel to one another like this?
Men who do this are cowards and spineless.
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Aug 14, 2012

sarmologadi

ohhh bathong, this is scary, wats happening to our SA men mara hey???
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Aug 14, 2012

Kgaoza606

I'm really shocked at this. People are so sick out there, can't even blame this one on nyaope. Dats why I always tell my girl siblings that they should be careful who they date, if they sense some kind of possessiveness and uncontrolled anger in the guy, they shud just get out of the relationship immediately before things escalate into unfortunate incidents such as these. R.I.P mama...
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Aug 14, 2012

Chichi7

I want to open a paper, just one day without a story of a man killing his wife and child. It that just too much to ask?
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Aug 14, 2012

vivla

OMG, a lady that works with me had told me about this story. Apparently these were her neighbours, this man was crazy to the core. Please throw him to the Dogs......let him die, sick bastard.
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Aug 14, 2012

candilious

Sowetan NO man its Womans Month all we read how woman are being k!lled,abused & misused jirrrreeeeeeeeeee this is madness

RIP Mama may you find peace
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Aug 14, 2012

Mmarena

Women just tolerate abuse and comfort themselves evertime that one day things will be alright. look what happened very painful.
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