Johannesburg – An officer who testified during the Rhodes Park trial told the High Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, that two different pairs of underwear and a cellphone were found at the scene of the attack.
“When I go to the scene constable [Bambatha] Tshabalala was in the company of two females and he told me that they had told him that they had been raped and their husbands had been drowned in the lake,” said constable Maanda Thivhilingwi.
Thivhilingwi explained to the court that he told the officer who had accompanied him to take the victims to the police station.
“I then made arrangements for divers to come to the scene. I can’t remember how many they were but they were numerous. They went into the lake and came out with two bodies,” Thivhilingwi said.
“I proceeded and called paramedics who examined the bodies and confirmed that they were dead. I then called a photographer to come and capture the scene.”
He said two pairs of underwear, one belonging to a male and another one to a female were found on the scene and they were taken by the photographer while he took a phone which was lying on the ground.
“The phone was not wet, I took it and booked it at the police station. I couldn’t identify whose phone it was.”
Earlier, Tshabalala’s testimony was scrutinised when he couldn’t clarify whether the bodies were naked or if their limbs were fastened.
Tshabalala told the court that the incident happened long time ago and he relied on what the victims told him when he got to the scene at the time.
Two women and their husbands were attacked by a large gang of men on October 17, 2015 while taking a stroll at the park.
Thabo Nkala (25), Admore Ndlovu (23) and Mduduzi Mathibela Lawrence (32) are the men linked to the attack and have been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, rape and murder.
They all pleaded not guilty to all charges. The matter has been postponed to Friday.
African News Agency