A top official in the Free State government has been arrested for beating his girlfriend to a pulp.
The newly appointed acting head of department (HOD) of treasury, Pakiso Lebone, admitted to Sunday World that he beat up his 36-year-old girlfriend, whose name is known to this publication, black and blue, in a fit of rage in May. He said they were driving home in his BMW X5 that night after attending an event.
Lebone, appointed acting HOD by the Free State premier, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, on 2 July, said that he regretted his actions, which “had destroyed him and those close to him”.
Lebone’s victim is another government employee in the province.
Tiff at the turf
An insider privy to the details told Sunday World that Lebone and the woman started arguing after watching the Nedbank Cup final between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
According to this insider, the commotion, Lebone claimed, started after his girlfriend asked him where he had disappeared to, leaving her in the company of people she did not know.
In her statement to police, the woman seems to confirm this. She wrote: “That evening after the soccer game, as we were about to head home, Pakiso was nowhere to be found, and he showed up after 45 minutes, so I told him that I needed to go home to my kids. As we left Leopards and Lace, I asked him, ‘where have you been?’. He said I shouldn’t dare ask him that question again. I said that was a valid question, and that’s when he punched me in the right eye and grabbed my cellphone as I was about to make a call and put it in his pocket.”
She said he exited the car, came around to her on the front passenger side. He pulled her out of the vehicle and punched and kicked her all over.
“I screamed for help, and my friends came to my rescue. Police officers also arrived and advised me to go open a case against him. My friends took me, and he was left behind with the police officers,” said the woman.
Later, she said, Lebone came to her crib and demanded to be let in, but her friends objected.
No arrest
Sunday World understands that though the woman opened a case, Lebone was not arrested. She said she obtained a protection order against her HOD boyfriend.
She then tells a back and forth story of the investigating officer, Sergeant Lucas Ngake, allegedly telling her he lost the docket hence no arrest. After this she reported him to his bosses, including Mangaung Metro District Commissioner Major-General Arthur Peter Adams on 9 July.
On one occasion, the woman said, the prosecutor had told her the case had nearly been thrown out because the investigating officer reported she and her witnesses couldn’t be found.
She said to prove that this was a lie, she showed the prosecutor text message exchanges with the investigating officer in which she constantly reached out asking for updates.
In turn, the prosecutor “showed me that the docket only had my statement and nothing else”.
Lebone was eventually arrested but then let out on bail.
Text messages
In WhatsApp messages we have seen, he shows contrition, telling his girlfriend he was sorry.
“I have acknowledged my mistakes and the pain I have caused you. Please note that it was never my intention to hurt you, and it breaks my heart to know that I did. I will never hurt you again in this lifetime. This is haunting me. I profusely apologise and so wish I could reverse it.
There’s a message thread in which she asks him to reverse the transaction, apparently after he had sent her R2500.
Sunday World could establish though that in 2023 the woman had reported to police that Lebone had assaulted her.
Free State police spokesperson, LT-Col Thabo Covane confirmed this but added that the case was withdrawn on the request of the complainant.
When contacted by Sunday World, the woman declined to comment, while Lebone said the incident had damaged his name and he was sorry for his actions.
He claimed people in the Free State government were pushing the woman to destroy him because they were jealous of his recent promotion.
Responding to Sunday World questions on behalf of Letsoha-Mathae, her spokesperson, Matshediso Setai said that the matter is sub judice.
“The Premier awaits the outcome of the court proceedings in order to act accordingly,” said Setai.
