Johannesburg - The mother of murdered hip hop artist Nkululeko “Flabba” Habedi took to the stand in the Randburg Magistrate’s court on Friday to testify about her son’s rocky relationship with his girlfriend, Sindisiwe Manqele, who is on trial for the murder.
Agatha Habedi said she knew Manqele was her son’s girlfriend, but knew little about how the relationship started.
Prosecutor Paul Schutter asked Habedi if the couple ever had disagreements.
“Nkululeko sent me a Whatsapp message that was from Sindi, [and] from reading this message one could tell that there were problems in their relationship because some messages were found on Nkululeko’s phone by Sindi,” Habedi said.
Habedi read the message that Manqela had sent her son, which he later forwarded to his mother on the evening of January 9.
“I don’t even know why I trusted your cheating a** in anyway after all you cheated on Lesego’s mom with me and God knows who else you make me sick I’ll call Thembela to get my stuff from your two timing a**,” Habedi read.
The message further reads: “I really hope those whores make you happy and have fun telling your daughter how you f***n cheated on a woman that was nothing but nice to all your family. I’m going to go for my blood tests tomorrow morning you better pray you didn’t give me anything.”
Habedi said she contacted Manqele the day after receiving the message as her son had asked her to intervene in the quarrel.
“First thing I said to her was, oh my child, are you trying to kill me,” said Habedi, explaining that she knew the kind of relationship the two were engaged in and that the quarrel was affecting her to the extent that it would kill her.
“At the particular time I could hear that she [Manqele] was sleepy so I told her I would call her later”, Habedi said.
Schutter asked Habedi if she ever spoke with Manqele again.
“We spoke later. I just can’t recall if I called or she did, she informed me that she was going to Cape Town for two weeks and she would come see me when she returned,” Habedi said.
However, the two women never met upon Manqele’s return.
Asked about the effect her son’s death had on her family, Habedi said: “I can not find the words to describe it.”
“He was at a stage where his career was starting to blossom,” Habedi said, “He had just released a single and he was involved in a number of collaborations with other artists.”
ANA