Sipho concludes evidence, not afraid to go to SA
MBABANE – Sipho Shongwe yesterday concluded giving his evidence.
He gave his evidence-in-chief on Monday and was cross-examined on the same day and for the better part of yesterday. Shongwe, who is alleged to have killed businessman Victor Gamedze on January 14, 2018 at Ezuwlini Galp Filling Station, was also re-examined yesterday. Today, his only witness, a telecommunications expert, will take to the stand.
Yesterday Shongwe said he was not afraid to go to the Republic of South Africa (RSA), where he is accused of being unlawfully released from prison. However, for the umpteenth time yesterday, Shongwe disputed that he escaped from Barberton Maximum Prison, where he was serving two life sentences.
He explained to the court that while sitting in his cell at Barberton Maximum Prison, he was called by prison officials, who told him that he was being released on parole. According to Shongwe, the prison officials even transported him to town upon his release.
Sentence
He was being cross-examined by Advocate Michael Hellens, who said Shongwe was wanted in the RSA to serve the remainder of his sentence.
The accused did not dispute that he was wanted in RSA, but pointed out that he never escaped. “I was released on parole. I never escaped. I was in my cell sitting and was told that I was being released. They even transported me and left me in town,” he said.
Shongwe said he came to Eswatini to rebuild his life. He told the court that he came to the country and established some businesses and he owned a football club, Matsapha United. He said he lived in the open and his conduct was not synonymous with one who had escaped from prison. He told the court that the distance between Barberton and Eswatini was about 200 kilometres and he would be found in the company of police officers.
“I was not hiding from anything in Swaziland (Eswatini). I was running my business openly and running a soccer team which made me attract media attention every day. I was in and out of South Africa. I would at times go to Barberton because I was sponsoring a soccer team in the prison. I was also in the media, such as Ligwalagwala FM and Mpumalanga News. One can ask himself if that is the conduct of an escaped man.
“My extradition order doesn’t bother me one bit. There is a judgment by Judge Nkosi, which was not appealed. It was issued after witnesses were led, including the Head of Barberton Maximum Prison. In the end, the judge found that I did nothing wrong. The judge (Judge Sipho Nkosi) said he would grant me bail if he found that I did not escape and he did,” Shongwe said. According to Shongwe, he did his time in prison and was eligible for parole. He said he was arrested in 1997 and got released in 2008.
Paroled
Advocate Hellens said Shongwe was prematurely released, after 11 years. Shongwe told the court that prison officials said he was to serve 12 years and four months before being paroled.
The advocate said Shongwe did not volunteer to go back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. However, he stated that he was arrested and currently in custody. He said he wished to be granted bail.
“You asked why I didn’t volunteer to go to South Africa; I’m in custody and wish to get bail. The prosecution opposed my bail on the basis that I escaped. I never escaped anywhere. At the end of this case I will go to South Africa and I have no problem with that,” said Shongwe.
“I’m talking about Ngubane and Nkosi,” Advocate Hellens stated.
Shongwe pointed out that Ngubane, according to his evidence, was in the country to rob a businessman who carried a lot of money in his car.
“Now I’m supposed to respond to a question on murder. What is on record is that he came here to rob a businessman. The prosecution now says they came for murder. I think I can leave that to the defence,” the accused said.
Shongwe said it was hard for him to answer and added that the advocate was channelling him. “Besides, he looks for a response on something I don’t know. I can answer by saying I don’t know what
was on their mind but I never hired or sent anyone to commit murder,” said Shongwe.
Advocate Hellens also said Shongwe could not answer the question that two strangers were introduced to him by Farouk Meyer ‘and you still can’t answer that question?’
Shongwe said: “I answered that question and said it is a continuation of the lies by Ngubane and Nkosi.
The truth is, I don’t know Meyer and I never stayed with him in (C-Max Prison).”
He said the set-up at C-Max Prison was such that there were no communal cells but single cells only.
He said he was in solitary confinement until he was transferred to Barberton Maximum Prison and he was never with Meyer, whom he denied knowing.