Pretoria - A detective constable who investigated the murder of Zanele Khumalo told the Pretoria High Court yesterday that he first realised he had a case against her boyfriend, Thato Kutumela, nine months after her death.
Raboya Maboa said he did not suspect Kutumela had anything to do with the murder after initially questioning him. Kutumela was co-operative, said he had nothing to hide and also wanted to know who killed his girlfriend, Maboa said.
It was only in January last year when he had gathered all the evidence, and looked at the investigation as a whole, that he realised “he had evidence against Kutumela”, Maboa said.
Kutumela faces charges of murder and rape. It is alleged that he killed Khumalo on April 21, 2011, at her Garsfontein townhouse which she shared with her parents.
Five-month pregnant Khumalo was found naked and face down, covered by a blanket, by her parents when they arrived home from work. It is alleged that she was raped and then strangled.
Maboa gave a step-by-step account of his investigation. He told the court that he went to fetch Kutumela at the Lynnwood Bridge Woolworths branch where he worked, to be taken to a doctor to have blood drawn. Kutumela said the blood test results would “exonerate” him, Maboa said.
Kutumela admitted he had visited Khumalo en route to work that morning, but claimed he went back to work soon after 9am.
However, Khumalo’s neighbour testified that she saw a man “slipping” into the Garsfontein townhouse. She was adamant it was at about 10.30am.
Kutumela was arrested and formally charged only in April last year because some parts of the investigation, such as the crime scene photo album, were still outstanding, Maboa said. He had also only received the DNA results in April. Kutumela’s DNA matched a swab taken from the victim.
Soon after his arrest, Maboa asked Kutumela to appear at an identification parade. He initially refused but later agreed. Maboa did not comment on the outcome of the ID parade.
Pretoria News