“Yes, we had an affair. I fell in love with him,” said murder accused Noluthando Baleni about a hitman she allegedly hired to murder her husband.
She was speaking under cross-examination in her trial for the murder of her husband, Coffee Bay secondary school deputy principal Kholisile Baleni, 49.
However, she said the murder of her husband came after he tried to have her killed by the hitman, who was not named in the packed Mthatha Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
These dramatic details emerged when state prosecutor Sicelo Mbeleki cross-examined Baleni.
Baleni, 46, and her father – African Gospel Church Western Transkei head the Reverend Oliver Mgutyana, 68 – and Bongani Skolpati, 22, are accused of the murder of Kholisile Baleni, 49, whose bullet-riddled body was found inside his vehicle on October 28.
Mbeleki told the court Noluthando confessed to the murder to the police, but she denied confessing or implicating herself.
Mbeleki said that after Baleni heard of the plot by her husband to have her murdered, she had an affair with the would-be hitman, who was a traditional healer.
Mbeleki put it to her: “You were in the car at Mthatha Plaza when the man posed as a traditional healer and phoned your husband about the plot to kill you, and the phone was put on loudspeaker.
“He asked him what he wanted to be done and he said that he wanted you to be killed.
“After that, you planned that he instead must be killed. Your father and the man left the vehicle for a while and when they came back, they said the deal had been done,” the prosecutor said.
Baleni agreed to listening in on the call, but said: “There was never a deal to kill my husband or counteract ”.
Mbeleki said Baleni later had an affair with the would-be assassin, and even bought her lover a car which was registered in her friend’s name.
Baleni denied buying her lover a car, but said she lent him money.
“He was threatening that he helped save my life and I must lend him money. I was afraid of him and wanted to get rid of him. Yes, we had an affair, I fell in love with him,” Baleni said.
The hearing has been postponed to today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Wife of slain Mthatha deputy principal admits to affair with hitman
She was speaking under cross-examination in her trial for the murder of her husband, Coffee Bay secondary school deputy principal Kholisile Baleni, 49.
However, she said the murder of her husband came after he tried to have her killed by the hitman, who was not named in the packed Mthatha Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
These dramatic details emerged when state prosecutor Sicelo Mbeleki cross-examined Baleni.
Baleni, 46, and her father – African Gospel Church Western Transkei head the Reverend Oliver Mgutyana, 68 – and Bongani Skolpati, 22, are accused of the murder of Kholisile Baleni, 49, whose bullet-riddled body was found inside his vehicle on October 28.
Mbeleki told the court Noluthando confessed to the murder to the police, but she denied confessing or implicating herself.
Mbeleki said that after Baleni heard of the plot by her husband to have her murdered, she had an affair with the would-be hitman, who was a traditional healer.
Mbeleki put it to her: “You were in the car at Mthatha Plaza when the man posed as a traditional healer and phoned your husband about the plot to kill you, and the phone was put on loudspeaker.
“He asked him what he wanted to be done and he said that he wanted you to be killed.
“After that, you planned that he instead must be killed. Your father and the man left the vehicle for a while and when they came back, they said the deal had been done,” the prosecutor said.
Baleni agreed to listening in on the call, but said: “There was never a deal to kill my husband or counteract ”.
Mbeleki said Baleni later had an affair with the would-be assassin, and even bought her lover a car which was registered in her friend’s name.
Baleni denied buying her lover a car, but said she lent him money.
“He was threatening that he helped save my life and I must lend him money. I was afraid of him and wanted to get rid of him. Yes, we had an affair, I fell in love with him,” Baleni said.
The hearing has been postponed to today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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