Vosloorus man behind bars for parent’s murder

Vosloorus’ Tshidiso Modise (45), who attacked and strangled to death his mother, Anna Modise (71), on Senyenyane Street, Ext 25, Vosloorus, was sentenced to life by the Palm Ridge High Court on September 14.

The case had been before the court for over two years after Tshidiso’s first appearance in the Palm Ridge High Court on May 17, 2021.

According to the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Basani Nkuna of the Vosloorus SAPS, Tshidiso was arrested at home after his mother’s lifeless body was found on her bedroom floor.

Nkuna said on May 13, 2021, Anna’s partner, David Mohlamonyane from Ext 28, Vosloorus, was the first to sense something was amiss when he called his late partner.

He said the couple did not leave together but were together the day before the incident (May 12).
When he called Anna to check on her at about 16:00, his stepson (Tshidiso) answered and told him never to call again, he explained.

“Mohlamonyane knew the mother and son did not have a good relationship. It made him suspect something was wrong,” said Nkuna.

He said Mohlamonyane travelled from Ext 28 to Ext 25 to check the situation, but because Tshidiso did not like him, he had once manhandled Mohlamonyane.

Upon arrival, he went to the Modise family’s neighbour to ask if she could check Anna on his behalf, Nkuna said.

“When the neighbour went to the home, she found the gate locked, but when she called Tshidiso’s name, he came outside. They greeted each other before she asked if his mother was home and he responded by saying she went to the Vaal.”

Nkuna told Kathorus MAIL the neighbour was also suspicious and asked for help on a community WhatsApp group.

As the community gathered, they called the police. However, the complaint suggested Tshidiso had cognitive disabilities because, at some point, he was mentally challenged.

He left his home to buy a cigarette. When he returned, the police had arrived and requested he open the gate, explained Nkuna.

“He also opened the kitchen door as the police and community members entered the house. They asked where his mother was, and he said did not know. They checked Tshidiso’s bedroom, and as they tried to open his mother’s bedroom, they found the door was locked.

They asked him to open it, but he said he did not have the key. The community became aggressive and broke open the door. They found Anna’s half-naked and lifeless body on the floor, covered in blood and with an open wound on her cheek. There was an electric cable cord nearby.

Nkuna said the cause of death was strangulation.

“He attacked her with an object first. The wound and bruise were visible on her face. The electric cord went for DNA testing, but they found nothing,” he said.

The community assaulted Tshidiso before he was rescued and arrested on the same afternoon (May 13, 2021). He was denied bail in court.

“You cannot give a person who killed his own mother bail. Where was he going to stay and with whom? His life could have been at stake even if he got the bail because community members wanted to kill him.”

He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in court. He was convicted on September 8 and sentenced six days later.

Challenges

Nkuna said one of the challenges he encountered in his investigations was that there were no eyewitnesses, so he had to use circumstantial evidence, which relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact.

“We did not have an eyewitness, but the accused had already told people his mother was not home. The mother would not go to Vaal and leave her phone with her son.

“If he claims criminals broke into the house, why was his mother’s bedroom locked and why didn’t he see or hear anything because the bedrooms are close to each other?”

He said because Tshidiso was suspected to have experienced mental challenges, he had to take him to Sterkfontein for a month for the doctors to assess whether he was fit to stand trial.

“Another challenge was that I could not telephonically get hold of witnesses (Anna’s siblings) when we needed them in court. I had to issue them with subpoenas. I had to drive to Sharpeville and Honeydew to find them, and their addresses do not appear on Google Maps.”

He said the motive for the murder is unknown, and when asked in court, Tshidiso said he did not know anything.
However, he suspects Tshidiso could have killed his mother the previous night and later realised he could not dispose of the body in the morning because people would see him. So, instead, he waited for nighttime. Fortunately, Mohlamonyane called.

“I do not think there is anyone who would like to see their parent killed in that manner, especially if they are your biological parent. The case made me emotional, but we do not work with emotions. I am relieved he got that sentence.”

He urged the community to refrain from committing such crimes.

Tshidiso is serving his sentence at Boksburg Correctional Services.