BEREA – A fractured skull with intra cerebral bleeding, four entry gunshot wounds on the right side of the face, with three exit wounds at the back of the head and two gunshot wounds on the chest. This is the heavy price that Reverend Bohlale Phakoe of the African Methodist Episcopal church has paid for allegedly being in a relationship with his cousin’s wife.
The shooting took place in Berea at Matholeng Gardens, a new hospitality facility he had just launched during the day on the 2nd October, 2021.
His dream had finally come true but he just wasn’t meant to see its growth as he was robbed of his precious life by one Reitumetse Lemphane (32).
Lemphane suspected that his cousin was having an affair with his wife ’Mathotahatsi Lemphane, popularly known by her maiden name Ntolo.
On the day of the launch, Ntolo, who also worked for Rev. Phakoe, had forgotten her spare phone in their family car.
The husband had taken the car to run some errands when a mobile phone rang. The husband looked at it and found that the deceased was trying to make contact with his wife.
Lemohang returned home just before his wife left, and confronted her. She told him that the phone was bought by the deceased in a bid to ease contact with clients for the new facility as well as to source new ones.
This did not sit will with him, so he took the matter further by going to the facility to confront the deceased.
When he arrived at the gate of the facility all had been cleared and the place was being cleaned up, but Lemphane requested entrance and was allowed in.
He met his wife, Ntolo, and asked her where the deceased was.
When Phakoe heard that there was someone looking for him, he came out, but realised he didn’t know the car that Reitumetse was driving, and he was not too sure who was his visitor.
But when Reitumetse called him he recognised his face and obliged.
Phakoe had asked one of his employees to accompany him just to make sure that he was safe, but when he saw that his boss was relaxed and knew the person who had come to see him, he left them in the car.
As soon as he had turned his back, gun shots were heard but some thought they were a signal for celebration on the achievement, but then someone was heard crying outside.
When people came out of the facility, they were met with Rev. Phakoe’s body lying on the ground, full of blood. The car that he was last seen sitting in had sped off.
He was hurried to Willies Hospital and then referred to Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) where he was certified dead on arrival.
Lemphane handed himself over to Mabote police on Tuesday and was charged with the murder of Rev. Phakoe and illegal possession of a firearm.
He appeared before the Berea magistrate court on Wednesday and remains in prison where he awaits his next remand scheduled for 20 October, 2021.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli has confirmed the incident.
“The suspect has appeared before court on charges of murder and illegal possession of a firearm. The suspect shot Rev. Phakoe on suspicion that he was having an affair with his wife.”
The deceased’s younger brother, Sekola Phakoe said as family they still didn’t have an idea why their loved one was killed so heartlessly.
