Staff Reporter.
On day four of the murder trial of Ntuthuko Shoba the court heard two detailed versions of death of his pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule.
Her killer, Muzikayise Malepane, continued his testimony against Shoba.
The convicted murderer, who claims he was hired by Shoba to kill Pule in order to conceal the pregnancy from his wife, had a tough day on the stand.
The defence questioned him about the two different statements he has given, the first one to police when he was arrested where he said he lied, and the second one he made when he took the plead bargain and turned state witness.
Asked why he decided to change his statement, Malepane first said among several reasons that his lawyers told him the truth would help the family get closure and his sentence will not be harsh.
He said they didn’t tell him what details in the docket could discredit his version.
Later after more questioning, he said he was told his first version didn’t make sense as he said Shoba stabbed Pule. However, her injuries were consistent with a gunshot wound, which he admits in the second version.
Malepane was also questioned for the hour and a half he could not account for in his second version after he says he killed Pule.
At first he said he cannot remember much because after shooting her he was traumatised.
Shoba’s lawyer, advocate Norman Makhubela asked him where exactly he was and who he was with if he was with anyone.
He later said he was actually driving around with Pule’s body trying to look for a spot where he can hang her, he said he eventually gave up and did it 800 meters from where he stays.
Pule was murdered on 4 June 2020. Malephane testified that he had shot Pule and hanged her from a tree in Roodepoort.
Malephane implicated Shoba in the murder after he entered into a guilty plea with the State.
Shoba faces one count of murder, alternatively conspiracy to commit murder, and of defeating the ends of justice.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the trial continues on Friday.