Murder accused phones slain son’s mom from jail

Sfundo Sibisi

Sfundo Sibisi

Published Feb 1, 2024

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Durban — Despite being previously warned by the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court not to contact the mother of his child from Westville Prison, a man charged with the murder of his then 8-year-old son has continued with attempts to phone the grieving mother.

This was according to the mother of Sfundo Sibisi, the child who was allegedly killed by his father, Siyabonga Innocent Shezi, in 2022.

She was speaking to the Daily News outside the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court, where Shezi appeared on Tuesday.

He is accused of assaulting the child in the Shongweni area.

Sfundo would have turned 10 in April and been undergoing his schooling in Grade 4 at Umthala Primary School in KwaNdengezi.

Sibisi said that she and Shezi had been broken up for some time before the murder.

She explained that she had been at work on the day her son was killed and Shezi allegedly phoned her, telling her that he had murdered their child.

Shezi allegedly told Sibisi to go and look for their son in the bushes in Shongweni before animals fed on his body.

That was when Sibisi phoned her family in Shongweni Dam, asking them to go to the area, where they found her boy’s lifeless body.

Shezi, who abandoned his bail application, is also charged with assaulting Sibisi, and it is alleged that while assaulting her he threatened to kill her and their son.

In March, in court, it emerged that Shezi had handed in a confession and undergone a pointing out.

In June, the director of public prosecutions indicated that Shezi was to be examined to ascertain his state of mind and he was taken to RK Khan Hospital for this to be done.

He was found to be coherent and logical and was therefore set to stand trial directly.

On Tuesday, Sibisi claimed that she had ignored two phone calls from a number that Shezi had used to phone her while in jail, shortly after their son’s funeral.

“I don’t know why he is still phoning me. I don’t want to speak to him, I have nothing to say to him.”

Sibisi said when Shezi phoned her after their son’s funeral she had answered the call, not knowing it was him, following which she saved the number and recorded the conversation.

“Back then I reported him to the State and when he was in court he was warned not to phone me. Last week I got two phone calls from the number he had used before.”

Sibisi shared the recorded telephone conversation that she provided to the State with the publication. In it, Shezi can be heard asking her to “please send me a voucher so I can buy cigarettes”.

He continues to say that murdering their son was a mistake and he was sorry, adding that “I just want your help.”

In the recording, Shezi says: “When I get out I can come to sort out cleansing for your home”.

And Sibisi is heard telling him that he will never get out.

According to Sibisi, Shezi is expected to appear again in court on February 6, where he is to answer as to why he was still attempting to contact her.

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