Flabba’s girlfriend found guilty of murder
JOHANNESBURG: Sindisiwe Manqele was convicted yesterday of the murder of her hip hop artist boyfriend Nkululeko “Flabba” Habedi.
Handing down his ruling in the high court sitting in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, Judge Solly Sithole said: “I am convinced that the version of Manqele has to be rejected as there’s no reasonable relationship with her attack and the actions of Habedi”.
Judge Sithole said the private defence of Manqele, 26, was exceeded by stabbing him.
“Intention isn’t an issue because the accused herself admitted that she intended to stab the deceased,” said the judge, who had previously said the musician’s killing was a “crime of passion”.
Earlier, while reading his 50-page judgment, Judge Sithole said it was clear the case involved a love relationship turned sour, with accusations, and was doomed to fail.
Judge Sithole said the cause of the altercation was mutual jealousy and Habedi’s financial status. He went on to list aspects of the case that led to the fatal outcome of Habedi’s death, stemming from a situation at at nightclub earlier on the night of the incident.
“The dancing of Kea with the deceased irritated the accused. She denies knowing Kea despite Luyanda hearing Kea and Mpho named in the altercation in the bedroom.”
Another trigger was the two men who spoke to Manqele and Masego Tsele while they were leaving the club. Habedi, 38, felt the men were being disrespectful, Sithole said.
Habedi’s financial status came up in the parking lot when they were walking to their vehicle. Judge Sithole quoted Manqele: “You can’t tell me what to do because you don’t pay my bills.”
Judge Sithole stated that after they left the club, the argument continued. “It’s quite obvious that the tension was building up… No one witnessed what happened in the bedroom but the accused. The question is whether she intentionally killed Habedi.”
The judge referred to similar cases and went on to read out common causes of the case. He stated it was not surprising that Manqele was hurt that Habedi was having relationships with three other women. Her immediate reaction “was severe”.
The State said Manqele downplayed how much she drank in her evidence.
Manqele, who was registered at Griffith College in Ireland, was on R10 000 bail and her lawyer Norman Makhubela, was trying to persuade the judge not to send her to jail immediately.
However, the defence failed to convince the judge to extend bail and she was led to the cells. – ANA