Johannesburg - The cousin of late Hip Hop star Nkululeko ‘Flabba’ Habedi on Monday told the Randburg Magistrate’s court of his last moments, including details of an argument the music star had with his girlfriend, as he testified in the trial of the lover accused of killing the Skwatta Kamp member.
Luyanda Silupa, testifying in the murder trial of Sindi Manqele, said he could hear on the night he died, in March, that Habedi was irritated while knocking on his locked bedroom door.
Silupa told the court he heard Habedi say:”Don’t make me sick, don’t irritate me, open the door.”
Norman Makhubela, Manqele ‘s lawyer, asked Silupa if he had heard the deceased shouting any derogatory words to the accused while they were arguing in the bedroom.
“All I heard was the two shouting at each other and the deceased saying that the accused couldn’t tell him who to entertain and the accused saying the deceased can’t tell her what to do,” Silupa recounted.
Makhubela continued to ask Silupa about what the accused had been wearing and what was said by the accused and the deceased.
“I saw the accused wearing a white vest and shorts when she ran out the bedroom shouting for help,” Silupa said.
Makhubela argued that there were witnesses who would say that they saw the accused wearing a brownish top.
State Prosecutor Paul Schutter then called up the next witness, Mpho Motsoari, who is the brother of the late hip hop star.
Motsoari said he only knew of Manqele in 2012, but added that he knew that the couple were together from the time before the deceased moved to Alexandra.
Motsoari said that the accused used to come to South Africa once a year as she resided in Ireland. “She was last here in 2014 and used to come over from time to time,” he told the court.
Habedi used to be married and was separated. He had one child with his wife, Motsoari testified.
Schutter went on to ask Motsoari whether the deceased were involved with other women while the accused was out of the country.
“No he didn’t, the only women that came over were people he worked with,” Motsoari said.
Motsoari said that the last time he saw the deceased was before the couple left for The Sands, and again when they returned that same night.
“He looked happy,” he said.
Schutter then asked Motsoari what the mood was when the deceased and the accused came inside the house.
“The accused walked in first and she greeted us, then about five minutes later my brother came in,” Motsoari said. “My brother came in and greeted us and sang one of his songs that were playing in the background.”
Motsoari said that the deceased mentioned to them that he was fighting with the accused and he had to go sort it out but would come back and tell them about it.
“He went to his room then came back to us and told us that the door to his room was locked,” Motsoari recalled.
Motsoari said the deceased was in a happy mood and smoked a cigarette with them before going back to the door. “He was knocking and saying ‘Baby open up, I’m begging you'“.
The deceased then heard a clicking sound of the door being unlocked and he ran back to the door, Motsoari testified.
“They were shouting at each other, but nothing serious,” he said.
Motsoari said he heard them shouting about bills.
“They were arguing about who pays what and Nkuli [ the deceased ] said she could leave.”
Motsoari said Habedi was a calm person, hence he didn’t take the argument seriously, nor go and check what was happening.
Schutter asked Motsoari how the argument ended.
“We heard him saying this bitch just stabbed me,” Motsoari said.
We heard the accused screaming each of our names and asking us to come help her, Motsoari added.
Motsoari said he saw the deceased lying on the floor helplessly.
“Luyanda and Sindi [the accused] were performing CPR on the deceased,” he said as he described what happened next.
The court case was adjourned until Tuesday.
ANA