Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
A SENSATIONAL property feud took a dramatic turn in court when a councillor from Inyathi in Matabeleland North, publicly cleared his ex-wife of wrongdoing in an alleged attempted murder case, shocking the courtroom and shifting blame onto her male relatives.
Sikhanyisiwe Zulu, the estranged wife of Councillor Abednico Maphosa, stood accused alongside Isaac Sibanda, Cabangani Zulu and Lucky Zulu of brutally assaulting the politician during a heated property dispute at his homestead.
However, Maphosa blew the case against Sikhanyisiwe to smithereens in an unexpected courtroom testimony.
“My ex-wife did not beat me up. I was attacked by my in-laws and Cabangani,” he said, eliciting gasps from the gallery.
His bold statement effectively exonerated Sikhanyisiwe, who had been accused of leading the violent attack on Maphosa during an alleged attempt to retrieve property she claimed was hers following their divorce.
The incident occurred when Sikhanyisiwe and her three male relatives allegedly stormed Maphosa’s premises demanding to collect items that had been allocated to her by traditional leader Chief Mtshana Khumalo.
Maphosa claimed the group assaulted him with stones and walking sticks, leaving him bleeding and in need of medical attention.
However, Sikhanyisiwe’s defence team argued that she never lifted a hand against her former husband and had simply sought assistance to collect her belongings. Her lawyer, Anna Kunda, told the court the accusations were fabricated in a bid to frustrate her client’s efforts to reclaim what was rightfully hers.
“The property in question was properly allocated to her by the chief after the dissolution of the marriage,” said Kunda. “She merely asked her relatives to help move the items. There was no assault by her.”
In an unexpected twist, Maphosa’s own testimony confirmed this, clearing Sikhanyisiwe and pinning the blame on her male relatives.
Cabangani Zulu defended himself, saying tensions rose when Maphosa turned violent during the handover negotiations and even assaulted Lucky Zulu.
“The medical report presented by Maphosa is manufactured. These charges are malicious and meant to block Sikhanyisiwe from taking what belongs to her,” argued Cabangani.
Isaac Sibanda distanced himself from the alleged violence, telling the court he was just a driver who had been hired to transport the property and never left the truck.
Lucky Zulu also denied the allegations, stating he was attacked by Maphosa, not the other way around. “I never fought back. He wasn’t even injured, and there were no visible signs of injury on him that day,” he said.
The four were remanded out of custody until 21 July for continuation of the trial.
The courtroom buzzed with speculation after the councillor’s admission. Was it a change of heart, or a man caught between love, family pride and public perception?
Sikhanyisiwe may have walked into court accused of attempted murder, but she walked out with her head high, backed by the very man she was accused of trying to kill.
