Pretoria - Ntuthuko Shoba, the former Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) analyst, accused of masterminding his pregnant girlfriend’s brutal murder, appeared in the South Gauteng High Court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Shoba has been charged with murder, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit murder, and defeating the ends of justice for not telling police the truth.
He has been in custody since his arrest in February, in connection with the heinous killing of Tshegofatso Pule, his heavily pregnant girlfriend.
The 28-year-old was found hanging from a tree, in a secluded area in Roodepoort, last year.
On Monday, State prosecutor Faghre Mohammed opened the State’s case, leading evidence from Pule’s friend. She detailed the type of person Pule was and what she knew about Pule’s relationship with Shoba.
She disputed that Pule had any relationship with convicted killer Muzikayise Malephane.
Shoba was arrested after Malephane, a man initially nabbed for Pule’s killing, entered into a plea bargain with the State.
As part of the plea bargain, 31-year-old Malephane confessed that he killed Pule. He said Shoba paid him R70 000 to kill the eight months’ pregnant woman.
Due to the plea bargain, he was sentenced to 20 years behind bars. His confession effectively saved him from being handed a life imprisonment sentence.
Malephane will take the stand on Monday to testify against Shoba.
IOL