Cape Town - Xolisa Mafilika, one of the men accused of the rape and murder of Sinoxolo Mafevuka, was spotted in the vicinity where the teenager’s body was found.
According to State witness Yongama Mdiya, Mafilika was seen the night before Sinoxolo’s body was found naked in the communal toilets at the SST Block in Town Two.
Mdiya and his friend were on their way back home from the local Caltex garage to buy electricity at about 11pm. The two were walking in a direction which passed a green container, about 100m away from the toilets.
“We saw a group of guys walking towards us, concerned for our safety, I asked my friend who were those people. He told me it was Ski and his friends,” said Mdiya.
When asked to point out to the court who Ski was, the witness pointed out to Mafilika, who was sitting in the dock with co-accused Athabile Mafevuka.
Mdiya said Mafilika was with a group of about seven men when he saw them. He said he did not see Mafilika again that night.
Earlier in court, defence advocate Mornay Calitz grilled Sinoxolo’s brother, Lonwabo Mafevuka, on inconsistencies in his statements.
The court heard two statements from Lonwabo which were taken by police. The first statement was taken two weeks after the incident and another a month after.
Lonwabo in the first statement said he knew Sinoxolo’s was dating Viwe Mafilika, a cousin to the accused. While the second statement focused more on the clothing items found at the scene.
Lonwabo testified that Sinoxolo and her friend, Asiphe Stenge, often exchanged clothing items. In the second statement Lonwabo said a grey jersey and brown sunglasses found at the scene did not belong to the deceased.
Calitz told the court that DNA from the deceased was found on the sunglasses. The defence advocate put it to the court that Sinoxolo could have fetched the jersey and sunglasses elsewhere on the night she left home.
“She could have got the jersey after she left.”
He attributed his inability to recognise the jersey to his illiteracy.