ON THURSDAY 27 January, Muzikayise Malephane testified that he didn’t have the guts to hang Tshegofatso Pule while she was still alive.
He was on the witness stand in the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg for the third day, under cross-examination by Ntuthuko Shoba’s defence. Shoba is accused of organising for Malephane to murder Pule, who was his girlfriend, in 2020 when she was eight months pregnant. As Malephane explained in detail how he murdered Pule, her family broke down in tears in the gallery.
“I was drunk when I killed Pule because I had been drinking with my friends the whole afternoon.”
He said when he went to fetch Pule from Shoba’s house in Florida, Joburg, they were already at the gate.
“When she got into the car, she was very sceptical, asking why Shoba wasn’t accompanying her.”
He said he put Pule at ease, saying nothing bad would happen to her. “She did ask me why I took the opposite direction and was not taking her home. I told her I was going to drop off something and then I’d take her home,” said Malephane.
“Instead, I got to an open veld in Noordgesig and parked the car. I had a firearm in my hand and went to her side of the door. I dragged her by the hand and shot her.”
Malephane said he then drove to Durban Deep in Roodepoort where he hanged Pule. The trial will continue on Friday, 28 January. Malephane was sentenced to 20 years for the murder in February 2021.
