Johannesburg - A Pretoria man accused of raping and strangling his pregnant girlfriend two years ago lied about his working hours on the day of the murder, the High Court in Pretoria heard on Monday.
The manager of the Woolworths branch in Pretoria where Thato Kutumela, 26, worked in 2011 testified Kutumela had been reprimanded for altering his working hours on official records.
Kutumela has pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering his girlfriend Zanele Khumalo, 18, at her parents' home in a townhouse complex in Garsfontein on April 21, 2011. She was five months pregnant with Kutumela's baby at the time.
Her parents and sister Lindi found her naked body under a blanket on her bed when they arrived home after work.
Kutumela's former boss testified she discovered discrepancies in his working hours at the end of that week and had a discussion with him about dishonesty.
It appeared Kutumela had given the time of his arrival on April 21, 2011 on the security register at work as 8.30am, but filled in the time as 9.02am on a labour department register.
It also appeared from Kutumela's work record that he had been off sick for two days before April 21, and again for two days after that day.
A neighbour and close friend of Khumalo's, Ina Matussowsky, testified the teenager had told her she did not have a relationship with the father and did not like him anymore.
Another neighbour, Sam Levi, testified he had seen Khumalo, dressed in a nightgown, talking to an unidentified man in blue pants outside her house shortly after 9am that morning. The trial continues. - Sapa