Johannesburg - The Limpopo man on trial for the murder of his four children has distanced himself from the crime and accused his brother of framing him for the murders.
Former lawyer Lucas Phasha stated during his trial in the Polokwane High Court that he believed that a local businessman might be behind the murders because of a row over a business transaction.
He said the businessman and the brother were conspiring to send him to prison.
Phasha stated all that despite the fact that he had gone on a Facebook rant before the children were killed, where he made reference to their killing. He had blamed his wife for allegedly cheating on him and also infecting him with HIV. He then warned that she would never see him and the children again.
Part of the post read: “I am very angry at her, her friends and her lovers. She will never see us again and must die of Aids. My wife really hurt me.”
However, Phasha changed his tune in court and blamed the unknown businessman for killing Katlego, 9, Joyce, 7, Tshepo, 5, and Adel, 3.
The children died after five-inch nails were knocked into their heads in Ga-Phasha village, in Sekhukhune, in February last year.
Their bodies were found in the bushes about 5km from their home.
At the time of the murders of the children, Phasha was on parole after serving a few years in prison for the murder of a neighbour’s child.
It was reported that Phasha had been chasing his girlfriend with a gun, accusing her of cheating on him, and started shooting at her.
The bullet, however, missed his girlfriend and struck a neighbour's child, who later died.
At the time of the shooting, Phasha was practising as a lawyer and was then struck off the roll.
Upon his release from prison he met another woman, whom he married and fathered the deceased children with.
IOL