Pretoria - THE Pretoria High Court heard that, as the police took murder suspect Thato Kutumela to a doctor to draw blood a few days after the murder of Zanele Khumalo, Kutumela asked the police if they would allow him to go and have a look at her body in the state mortuary.
Acting Judge Johan Kruger was told that Kutumela was at the time a suspect in Zanele’s murder.
The police went to fetch him at the Lynnwood Bridge Woolworths branch, where he worked. He was taken to a doctor and, as he walked with the police past the morgue, he asked if it was possible to see the deceased. This request was denied, as the police said they doubted she would still be there.
According to the police, Kutumela, 26, cried and “appeared to be in pain” when they fetched him to question him about the events of April 21, 2011, when Zanele was allegedly strangled after she had allegedly been raped.
She was at the time five months pregnant with Kutumela’s child. Her naked body, covered by a blanket, was discovered in her bed by her parents when they arrived home from work. She was at the time lying on her stomach.
Kutumela admitted he had visited her en route to work that morning, but claimed he went back to work shortly after 9am.
A neighbour last week testified that she saw a man “slipping” into the Garsfontein townhouse Zanele shared with her parents. This witness was adamant this was around 10.30am.
Cellphone records also revealed that Kutumela was in the Garsfontein area around that time, as his call was reflected by a tower situated in Jacqueline Drive, around the corner from Zanele’s home.
However, the defence insisted the call reflected by that tower was made while he was at work.
According to his advocate, he co-operated with the police after the incident, as he was told by them he was being questioned and his blood drawn so as to “exonerate” him as a suspect. Kutumela did not mind his blood being drawn, as he admitted to having had consensual sex with her that morning.
A neighbour earlier testified that, when she saw Zanele on the morning she was allegedly murdered, she appeared to be upset and crying.
Her best friend, Ganki Letoale, who also lived in the complex, told the court Zanele wanted to dump Kutumela, but he would not let her.
She said she saw Kutumela that morning when she left the complex. He was wearing a blue top and pants at the time. When she returned, she again saw him while he was stuffing things into a bag. He then wore khaki pants and a black top.
The trial resumes on Monday, when the investigating officer will take the stand.
Pretoria News Weekend