Murder accused sangoma claims he confessed under duress

The sangoma accused of slaughtering and dismembered a teenage schoolgirl objected to the admissibility of his purported confession, saying that he was coached by arresting police officers and was under duress when making the statement incriminating himself.
The Mthatha High Court sitting in Mbizana is hearing the trial where the local sangoma, Olwethu Mbalwa, 31, who stands accused of the muti-killing and body parts harvesting of an AB Tshayingca High Grade 10 pupil Sinoyolo Mgaga, 17, who was found decapitated with her private parts removed at KwaNikhwe village in Mbizana.Her mutilated body was found with parts removed and stolen on October 15 2017.
The head and private parts were stolen and later found buried allegedly by the accused near Mbalwa’s homestead on October 27 2017. He has been in custody since his arrest then.
His Legal Aids SA lawyer, Andile Nohiya, on Thursday argued and requested Judge Buyiswa Majiki to dismiss the admissibility of his “confession”. “My client was not involved in the killing. All he said in the statement was what he was coached and schooled [on what] to say by the arresting police officers. He was under duress,” said Nohiya.
The case was then send to trial-within-a-trial and postponed to Tuesday next week...

This article is reserved for DispatchLIVE subscribers.

Get access to ALL DispatchLIVE content from only R49.00 per month.

Already subscribed? Simply sign in below.

Already registered on HeraldLIVE, BusinessLIVE, TimesLIVE or SowetanLIVE? Sign in with the same details.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@dispatchlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.