adminA metered taxi driver testifying in Sindisiwe Manqele’s murder trial has contradicted what she said about the night her rapper boyfriend Nkululeko “Flabba” Habedi died.Khumbulani Ncube was called by Manqele’s defence counsel yesterday to corroborate her evidence about the night she called him to fetch her from The Sands nightclub.
Manqele‚ 26‚ is on trial in the South Gauteng High Court sitting at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Habedi‚ 37. He died of a stab wound to the chest on March 9 at his Alexandra‚ Johannesburg‚ home.
Manqele has pleaded not guilty and has said she stabbed Habedi in self-defence.
When she testified in her own defence this week‚ Manqele said she called Ncube about six times. She said she wanted to go to her Kempton Park home and did not want to go to Alexandra with Habedi.
She said Ncube called her at some point to ask for directions to the club.
Ncube‚ however‚ told the court when cross-examined by prosecutor Paul Schutte that he did not ask for directions as he operated in Sandton.
“If the accused were to testify that you asked for directions to get to Sandton‚ would she be correct?” Schutte asked.
Ncube said she would not be telling the truth because he knew Sandton very well and also had a global positioning system (GPS).
Ncube said he could hear music and people talking in the background when Manqele called him and he had the impression that she was still inside the club.
This is contrary to what Manqele said as she told the court that she called Ncube from outside the club.
Manqele’s defence advocate‚ Norman Makhubela‚ asked Ncube in re-examination if it was possible that Manqele was outside when she spoke to him on the phone and Ncube said it was. — Times Live
derick.khumalo