Lover tells of gay partner’s death
‘He punched her twice in the face and she was bleeding’
NQABISA Mkatali, the lover of murdered Noluvo Swelindawo, broke down in tears in the Western Cape High Court as she detailed incidents that led to her partner’s death. Swelindawo was abducted from her home in Driftsands and was found dead near a footbridge to Khayelitsha at the side of the N2 in Khayelitsha, on December 4 last year.
The man accused of her murder, Sigcine Mdani, is facing charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, housebreaking with intent to kidnap, kidnapping and murder.
Yesterday Mkatali testified that the accused and Swelindawo had a physical altercation at a friend’s party, also in Driftsands, two days before her death.
Mkalali said she heard screams that Swelindawo was fighting.
“I found Vovo (Swelindawo) on the floor. Ma-Seven (the accused) was standing not far from her. She was bleeding. I asked her what happened and she said Ma-Seven assaulted her. I asked him why and he said she was getting too familiar with him,” she said.
Swelindawo sustained a cut to the chin and her left eye was red and swollen.
After the party the couple had another encounter with the accused. This time, Mkatali said, in a bout of anger he started walking towards Swelindawo, but Mkatali begged him for forgiveness on Swelindawo’s behalf.
Defence advocate Sheriff Mohammed said that in the accused’s version of events, Swelindawo first smacked him twice on the face, resulting in the falling of the beer bottle he had been drinking from.
“He said he punched her twice in the face and she was bleeding but he did not see any swelling,” said Mohammed.
In the morning of December 3, Swelindawo told her brother she had been assaulted by Ma-Seven. Her brother went to the accused’s home and assaulted his parents. He was then ganged up on and assaulted by the rest of the family.
That night Mkatali recalled the accused forcefully removing Swelindawo from their home.
“I followed behind them, but it was too dark and there were no street lights. I went to the neighbours and called for help. One of the neighbours called police. We continued with the search, as police were taking long,” she said.
She was offered a place to sleep at a neighbour’s home as she feared the accused might come back for her.
“We heard a scream in the early hours. I thought it was her, but it wasn’t. It was then that someone told me her body had been found,” she sobbed.
Mkatali was too emotional to speak further about the body being found. The trial continues today.