Durban - A Pinetown woman on trial at the Durban High Court along with her brother for allegedly kidnapping and killing her husband is now receiving treatment at a psychiatric facility for treatment.
Nomphumelelo Patricia Goncalves is alleged to have hired her brother, Nkosinathi Steve Zungu, and two others to carry out the crime.
Goncalves, who is out on bail, was in court on Wednesday last week.
The following day she was not in court and a doctor’s note was sent on her behalf.
It is believed that she had tried to end her life. Goncalves’s attorney, SG Zwane, told the court on Monday that “unfortunately my client is not here, subsequent to her diagnosis she was referred to a psychiatric hospital for treatment”.
A previous State witness, hit man James Mashudu “Ramaphosa” Mthimkhulu, had testified that Nkosi Timmy Langa was killed with an electric cord cut from an iron in his home. The cord was put around Langa’s neck and Zungu pulled one end while Mthimkhulu allegedly pulled the other.
It is alleged that Goncalves had hired the men to murder Langa because he had physically abused her.
Zwane, who had given the State another doctor’s note in reference to Monday, said it had been agreed to adjourn the matter as the State also wanted further information from the doctor and that an adjournment would give him an opportunity to give the court the necessary documentation.
Senior State advocate Krishen Shah explained to the court after submitting the doctor’s note that he had difficulty when comparing the two, the one from Thursday which was from a specialist psychiatrist, and Monday’s one.
He pointed out some issues that he had when it came to admission times reflected on the note dated June 2.
Shah, after receiving the doctor’s note on Monday, contacted the facility that Goncalves had been referred to and found that she was not there.
“When I contacted the centre she had not arrived but they said they were expecting her today.
“This raises obvious questions: How is she getting there? Is she driving herself or being taken there? For the sake of progress, the warrant of arrest authorised on June 2 should remain until we know what is going on,” said Shah.
The next court date is Thursday when court is expected to be furnished with better more information on Goncalves’s condition.
Daily News