Pretoria - The sister of a woman murdered in her Garsfontein home last year overheard an argument between her sibling and her boyfriend before she was killed.
Lindi Khumalo told the High Court in Pretoria on Friday that she woke up on the night before her sister Zanele's death and heard her swearing on the phone. She said she assumed Zanele, 18, was talking to “that psychopath”.
The teenager was five-months pregnant with her 26-year-old boyfriend Thato Kutumela's baby at the time of her death. Kutumela has pleaded not guilty to raping and killing Zanele.
Zanele's parents discovered her naked body under a blanket on her bed when they arrived home after work on April 21, 2011. According to an autopsy report she had died of manual strangulation.
Lindi testified her father had forbidden Kutumela to come to their house.
A third witness, handyman Alberto Micia, testified he had seen Kutumela wearing blue work clothes when he entered Zanele's parents' townhouse complex in Garsfontein that morning, and wearing a black jersey when he left.
Micia said Kutumela had what appeared to be an empty bag with him when he entered the premises, but came out with a bulging bag about two to three hours later.
He reported this to a passing security guard.
Kutumela admitted to having consensual sex with Zanele that day, but denied raping or murdering her. The trial was postponed to an unspecified date. - Sapa