Pretoria - The scourge of gender-based violence and femicide reared its ugly head once again on the first day of the new year, with the murder of a Police Academy graduate who was brutally killed, allegedly by her husband.
After having successfully completed months of training and graduating from the SA Police Academy in November, Phenderia Botshelo Phora, 31, from Mamelodi was looking forward to starting her new career.
Her dreams were cut short, however, after she was found strangled with a cable, allegedly by her husband, Thuso Phora, on January 1.
Her body was discovered on January 2, and the husband was arrested by the police after he was discharged from hospital after apparently attempted to commit suicide.
Thuso Phora, who was apparently attached to the K9-Unit at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, appeared briefly in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He indicated that he intended to apply for bail, but his legal representative wasn’t present in court.
The matter was postponed for his lawyer to be present, but Mamelodi East Magistrate’s Court senior prosecutor Anne-Marie Bendeman indicated that the State would be opposing his release on bail.
Bendeman said femicide was a huge battle facing the Mamelodi community and they were taking such cases very seriously. As a result, the case would ultimately be moved to the high court. She said she would notify the unit where Phora was stationed to look into the matter as well.
Family friend Itumeleng Makoro, speaking outside court alongside community members who had embarked on a march ahead of the husband’s appearance, said they didn’t know what had led to the killing.
Makoro said the couple had been together for seven years and married for three. They had challenges but the only issue her friend had told her of recently was that he was unhappy with the fact that she had decided to join the police force. Phora was evidently upset that, not only had his wife gone ahead to join the police under the pretext of doing a short course, but she had also accepted a post at the national SAPS office following her graduation.
The matter will return to the magistrate's court on Wednesday, when a formal bail application will also be made.
Pretoria News