Johannesburg - If the late girlfriend of Jozi FM DJ Donald Sebolai had been taken to hospital immediately after being stabbed, the 32-year-old woman could have survived.
This was the testimony of a pathologist, Dr Mosoeu Paul Morule, in the high court sitting in Palm Ridge during Sebolai’s murder trial on Wednesday.
Morule, who previously worked at the trauma casualty wards of three well-known township hospitals - Natalspruit, Leratong and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic - before joining the pathology unit about 20 years ago, conducted a post-mortem on Dolly Tshabalala’s body.
Marule described the wound on Tshabalala’s body as 1cm long and 3cm wide. The arteries and blood vessels underneath the wound were severed, he said, adding there were no other injuries found during the examination, with no penetration of her genitals noted.
Marule testified that the cause of death was a penetrating wound of the right thigh, with severe blood loss and hypovolemic shock.
During cross-examination, he said time was an important factor that contributed to the hypovolemic shock. He stuck to his version and told the court that if the deceased had been taken to hospital immediately, she would have been saved.
When giving graphic testimony on Tshabalala’s bloodied genitals, her mother, Elizabeth Marawa, left the courtroom.
Earlier this week, the court heard that Tshabalala had visited Jabulani police station with the intention to open a domestic violence case against Sebolai. But she changed her mind and returned to her boyfriend’s arms.
Sebolai and Tshabalala allegedly had an argument during which he apparently stabbed her with a knife.
He allegedly cleaned the floor and threw her bloodied clothing into an outside dustbin.
The trial continues. Sebolai is out on bail of R10 000.
The Star