MURDER SUSPECT ’ S CHEEK
Man wore trousers of deceased Accused complain of hunger in jail
A SURVIVOR of the Rhodes Park attack has accused Thabo Nkala of wearing her deceased husband’s trousers as he stood in the dock to answer for his murder.
Nkala, 24, was arrested in Hillbrow three weeks ago.
He faces two charges of murder and rape and has made two appearances in the Johannesburg Magistrate ’ s Court.
Siphokazi Tyele, who watched Nkala ’ s brief court appearance on television news yesterday afternoon, said he was wearing her late husband’s maroon chinos when he stood in the dock.
“I swear my husband was wearing those pants when we were attacked. Police recovered his body dressed in a T-shirt,” Tyele said.
And her wedding ring – stolen during the attack – could have led police to the arrest of the first suspect.
Tyele, who left Johannesburg for Eastern Cape hours after their ordeal, told Sowetan that police investigators had asked her for photos of her stolen wedding ring.
“I’m not sure how the ring links the suspect. The police said I must send them pictures to help them with their investigation.
“I’m not sure if they arrested the suspect in possession of the ring or whether he was trying to sell it. They said I must come to Johannesburg so they can update me in person,” she said.
Tyele, her husband Sizwe and their friends, Zukisa Kela and his fiancée Jabu Mbatha, were attacked at the park in Kensington last month.
It is believed that a group of about 12 men was behind the attack.
The gang tied Kela and Sizwe Tyele ’ s hands before throwing them into the lake where they both drowned.
Two men from the group raped one woman and sexually assaulted the other.
The gang also robbed the couples of their cellphones and money. Tyele ’ s wedding ring was taken.
She is due back in Johannesburg this week and is expected to be a key witness in the case against Nkala.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini declined to give details on how Nkala was nabbed.
“That is an operational matter that I’m not at liberty to give out to the public as it will form part of the state ’ s case against the accused,” said Dlamini.
Yesterday, magistrate Lucas van der Schyff postponed Nkala’s bail application to November 24 for further investigation.
The state is still trying to confirm Nkala ’ s migration status in South Africa. He is a Zimbabwean national. A MAN facing several charges, including of murder, brought proceedings in the Durban High Court to a halt as he pleaded hunger.
Buyani Maphumulo, 22, and coaccused Mphinyana Nzama, 47, face two charges of murder, and charges of rape, kidnapping and theft.
Maphumulo told Judge Phillip Nkosi they were denied proper meals during their detention at Westville Prison, where lunch is their only meal.
“
(I’m losing strength. I have not had anything to eat. At Westville Prison we are only given meals once a day.)
“They say because we are awaiting trialists we’re not allocated meals.
“Even when we are given the food, it’s not pleasant. You only eat because you are hungry,” said Maphumulo.
State advocate Noxolo Nkosi adjourned the trial to today to allow Maphumulo ’ s legal counsel to investigate the authenticity of his claims.
Maphumulo and Nzama are accused of killing Nokwanda Ngcobo and Milton Makhanya at Enqutshini Reserve, about 90km from Durban, on March 28 2014.
The pair allegedly kidnapped the deceased on instruction of Zine Jwara, a local loan shark.
The moneylender had accused Ngcobo and Makhanya of tricking her out of a sum of R3 000.
According to the state, the deceased were abducted from Umlazi township in Durban and taken to Enqutshini where Jwara allegedly requested Nzama and Maphumulo to keep the deceased hostage.
The accused allegedly demanded a bank card and a pin code from Ngcobo and withdrew R500 which they used to buy whisky and meat.
They allegedly assaulted them and Maphumulo allegedly raped Ngcobo before the pair were killed. The suspects were arrested three days later. They have pleaded not guilty.