The accused, Itumeleng Machabe, faces 19 charges. File picture: Soraya Crowie
THE TRIAL of Itumeleng Machabe, who is accused of rape and murder, resumed this week in the Northern Cape High Court.
The accused, also known as Bendow, faces 19 charges, including rape, fraud, crimen injuria, attempted extortion, child pornography, attempted murder and murder.
The case centres around the rape and murder of 11-year-old Relebogile Segami, whose lifeless body was discovered behind the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in Kimberley on March 31, 2022.
She had been reported missing the day before.
Machabe is also accused of raping a then 15-year-old girl during a separate incident.
The trial had been postponed in November 2023, but justice now prevails as the proceedings unfold.
Machabe has pleaded not guilty to all charges, setting the stage for a rigorous legal battle.
The court’s initial sessions began in October last year, where testimonies related to the alleged sexual offences were presented.
This week, the court heard from five witnesses who were with Machabe and Relebogile on the day that she went missing.
Relebogile’s disabled mother also provided testimony.
Additionally, the three investigating officers involved in the case provided their testimonies.