“We want to mourn, not fight,” Didi’s family tells alleged killer

The family of slain scientist, Dorcas ‘Didi’ Lekganayane, say they hope that her alleged killer husband, Cecil Kekana, will admit his guilt so that the family can find closure.

The 46-year-old abandoned his bail bid when he appeared in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court today.

Kekana is accused of stabbing Lekganyane to death multiple times at their matrimonial home in Johannesburg, earlier this month.

He was recently released from hospital after he tried to take his own life.

He faces charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.

Didi’s sister, Lethabo, says this ordeal has taken a toll on the family, especially when they think of the bright future the 32-year-old had ahead of her.

Lethabo says Kekana should spare them the grief of seeking answers.

“Someone that took a daughter from her family and someone that took a mother away from her daughter, I don’t consider him a good person,” she says.

“I hope this man does not try to plead not guilty, I’m hoping he doesn’t make us fight when he appears in court. I hope he takes responsibility; I don’t want my family to fight any further, he knows what he did.”

“The only thing we ask is that he takes responsibility and tells the full story so that we may have peace and my sister can rest easily, so we may mourn instead of fight.”

While the family has welcomed Kekana’s decision to abandon bail, they say they remain hopeful that justice will prevail.

Family spokesperson, Dr Robert Lekganyane, has lamented how they’ve been struggling to cope with coming to court as a family.

“The reality is that in matters of this nature, the mere appearance in court will generally evoke the deeper issues and remind you of the gravity of the offence,” he says.

Lekganyane says some family members didn’t even want to see Kekana.