Tears of a desperate dad

Missing Collen’s father cries in court after allegedly threatening mother

The rumours surrounding little Collen Loba’s mysterious disappearance went into overdrive this weekend following the arrest of the little boy’s father.

37-year-old Willie Dekoker was taken into custody on Saturday, a development that prompted wild speculation throughout Takatokwane village and across much of social media.

However, Dekoker’s brief incarceration was not directly linked to his missing son, who has not been seen since 6 June.

Rather, he was charged with threat-to-kill, having reportedly lost his temper with his long-time girlfriend and eight-time baby mama, Collen’s mother, Mmalefatshe Loba, 30.

Arraigned before Molepolole Magistrates Court on Monday, the dreadlocked Dekoker broke down in tears as the stress and uncertainty of recent weeks became too much to bear.

It was heard the devastated dad uttered the following warning to Loba on Saturday, “Fa o sa ye go bolelela mapodise ke tsile gogo bolaya (If you do not go to inform the police, I am going to kill you).”

Explaining his outburst in court, Dekoker told Chief Magistrate, Thebeetsile Mulalu that his boy’s disappearance has left him heartbroken and sick with worry.

To add to his torment and strained mental state, one of his eight children, a five-year-old, is disabled and relies heavily on him for care.

“I’m looking for my missing child, I always speak the truth, I never speak lies. The woman feared because I mentioned her friends. My other child is disabled. The disabled child is always left alone at home, I’m the one responsible. When I think about my missing child and the other disabled left alone, it’s like I’m going mad, may the court forgive me,” begged Dekoker, his trembling voice heaving with hurt.

Although the prosecution requested he remain locked up on remand, noting setting him free could put the complainant in danger, Dekoker was given the bail he begged for.

Perhaps swayed by the suspect’s obvious distress, Chief Magistrate Mulalu saw fit to release the accused, cautioning not to make him regret this decision.

Bail was granted on the condition Dekoker does not subject the complainant to any act of violence and reports to the police every fortnight.

Speaking to The Voice outside court, the worried father accused his girlfriend of fabricating the allegations in revenge for instructing her to give the police the name of her close friends.

“We should think about people closer to us. I suggested that I should reveal the names of my friends and she should also mention her closest friends to be taken to the police for investigations,” he explained.

Compounding his grief, wicked whispers have linked Dekoker to Collen’s disappearance, with reports he was seen in a black Toyota Surf which allegedly abducted the child.

“It’s rubbish, I have never been in the company of anyone using such a vehicle. Some people were accusing me that I’m the suspect; I can’t sell my son,” cried the anguished man, the tears from earlier returning in full force.

“During the search, it showed that after we left on the first day with the police at night, some people went to look for the child and took him. The second day of our search, there is only one relative, the boy’s grandfather, who we found alone at the bush, claiming he was searching for the child the whole night. He continued the search and later left. He never helped with the search after that and I’ve not seen him since,” concluded the frustrated Dekoker, who has not given up hope of finding his son alive.

As reported in last week’s lead story, 11- year-old Collen has been missing for 54 days now (as of Wednesday). He was last seen leaving Takatokwane on the evening of Saturday 6 June, setting off on foot for Nyetsane cattlepost with an uncle, cousin and the uncle’s girlfriend.

Barefoot, the Standard Six student seemingly got lost and was separated from the other three during the 5km walk. He never made it to the cattlepost and has not been seen since, his whereabouts a complete mystery.

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