Man’s murder: wife cleared of all charges

The Eastern Cape High Court in East London has acquitted Bulelwa Ndudula, the widow of a slain Eastern Cape social development chief of staff Sakhekile Ndudula, from all the charges related to his murder.

Sakhekile was gunned down at their Cambridge home in East London in September 2016. He later died in hospital.

Bulelwa was charged with his murder and for being in possession of an unlicensed 9mm pistol and ammunition which the state alleged she used to commit the crime.

Bulelwa pleaded not guilty to the charges and said they were fabricated by the police and her in-laws.

Defence counsel advocate Mike Maseti said there was a wider conspiracy by police and some witnesses and evidence that was presented in this case was characterised by deceit.

Judge Igna Stretch made harsh remarks against the prosecution and how it led certain evidence. She also slammed its failure to obtain conclusive evidence in order to prove the crime was committed by Bulelwa.

Stretch said the state failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Bulelwa was the one who pulled the trigger. She also criticised the behaviour of certain state witnesses and questioned their motives in testifying.

The prosecution failed in reconstruction of crime scene evidence to establish the position where the alleged shooter was standing, Stretch said.

The strength of the state’s case relied on gunpowder residue found in Bulelwa’s red jacket and on her right hand.

During the trial, the state’s chief forensic analyst, Lieutenant-Colonel Noneka Zizikazi Gogela from the police’s forensic science laboratory in Pretoria, testified that Bulelwa must have been wearing the jacket when she pulled the trigger or it was two metres away from where the person who pulled the trigger was standing.

During her testimony, Bulelwa testified that her jacket was on top of the bed in the room where her husband was shot.

Stretch ruled out using gunpowder residue as primary source of conviction.

Stretch said the sequence of events of the morning Sakhekile was shot made it impossible for his widow to have had time to flee and conceal the weapons allegedly used for the crime. – ANA

Stretch said the state failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Bulelwa was the one who pulled the trigger.