Legislator speaks on Emakhandeni murder

EMAKHANDENI-Luveve legislator, Mr Descent Bajila has questioned the authenticity of claims by Obvious Velani Sibanda, a suspect behind the death of Hillary Nothabo Ncube whom he allegedly killed at a house in Emakhandeni suburb.

Sibanda allegedly fatally attacked Ncube, who was his girlfriend, last Monday hours after she had knocked off from work at a popular fast-food outlet in the city.

Sibanda allegedly struck Ncube with a metal bar following a relationship dispute and accusations of infidelity between the couple. The incident happened just five days before the two families could meet for lobola negotiations.

Ncube was five months pregnant and the two are co-workers at a local popular fast-food outlet in the city.

According to police, Sibanda confronted the deceased over an alleged regular caller on her cellphone, identified as Gift.

Sibanda claimed that Gift was her boyfriend and was responsible for the pregnancy.

Contributing to a motion in Parliament on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness programmes to promote positive social and cultural change, Mr Bajila said the version by Sibanda cannot be verified since Ncube was no longer there to narrate her side of the story.

“Ncube, a pregnant young woman was murdered by her boyfriend, Sibanda over a dispute around the responsibility of the pregnancy. We are hearing the story now as Obvious appears before police,” he said.

“Nothabo is no longer there to defend herself or to say whether the alleged reasons for her murder are true or false. This is a matter of GBV that lives in our communities as we see it every day.

“Madam Speaker, I implore this House to think of women such as Nothabo who find themselves in such a predicament of being murdered by their lovers. When they are murdered by their lovers, the rest of us remain to hear the stories and they are nowhere to defend themselves. Madam Speaker, I call for justice for Sinothabo at this point.”

Meanwhile, Ncube’s family has refuted infidelity claims against their late daughter.

The family quizzed Sibanda as to why he quickly rushed to delete all the messages on their daughter’s cellphone, arguing that such information could have assisted in verifying claims by Sibanda that the deceased regularly received calls from Gift.

In an interview yesterday at their family house in Cowdray Park, the deceased’s father, Mr Nkulumo Ncube, said they were extremely disturbed by Sibanda’s version which also soils their name and social standing.

“If there was this so-called Gift, why then rush to delete everything from my daughter’s cellphone? These messages were going to assist in verifying or disputing the claims, but now all that crucial detail is gone,” he said.

“We even questioned why they took so long to hand over my daughter’s cellphone and other items which include her purse, and passport. They kept on telling us that they handed the items to police which proved to be all lies.”

The deceased’s mother, Ms Marvis Ndlovu said they suspected a premeditated murder of their daughter after revelations that Sibanda turned up the volume of his radio and television as a way of drowning the victim’s screams for help during the vicious assault.

“I am in pain, and I just can’t comprehend that my daughter is gone. I toiled to educate her and like every mother, I was so proud when she graduated and was looking forward to seeing her enjoying life,” she said.

Nothabo was laid to rest at Umvutshwa Park Cemetery on Saturday, the day that family members were expected to engage in lobola negotiations.