Hlompho Mohapi murder trial continues

Update

GEORGE NEWS - The cross-examination of accused number two in the Hlompho Mohapi (25) murder trial, Siphoshile Pamba (26), continued in the George Circuit High Court this week.

During her testimony that started last Wednesday, 12 May, Pamba spoke of severe physical abuse since 2017 and adultery during her relationship with accused number one, her husband Melisiswe Monqo (33). According to Pamba he forced her to take out no less than 12 fraudulent life and funeral policies during 2017 and 2018.

Three of these were life and funeral policies taken out on the Thembalethu mother, Hlompho Mohapi (Koloi), whose body was found by a fisherman next to the Voëlklip road on 5 July 2018.

Mohapi's death
Pamba vehemently denied having anything to do with the murder, maintaining she was forced to take out life and funeral policies on Mohapi's and three other women's lives. She also denied phoning Mohapi to arrange for her alleged job interview at the George Airport.

She told the court that she only did what Monqo told her to do as he was very abusive and she was fearing for not only her own life, but those of her child and mother as well. According to her, Monqo is capable of anything - also of murder.

Pamba confessed that when she heard Mohapi had been murdered, she immediately felt responsible as she made the link and knew she had taken out the policy on Mohapi's life.

However, she testified that Monqo did not seem shocked at all and when she asked him whether he murdered Mohapi, he did not answer her. "But I could see the guilt in his eyes," she said. When asked why she did not report any of it, she said she wanted to but was scared of her husband.

According to evidence presented in court, Pamba had ample opportunity to report Monqo's dealings to not only her mother, but also the police. However, the alleged battered wife did not do so and she also did not leave the alleged abusive husband. "I knew he would be arrested and I would be free. I waited, My Lord, I was patient," she said.

Cross-examination

The court heard last week that contrary to previous testimony, Pamba and Monqo did visit George on several occasions before Mohapi was murdered. Pamba admitted this after she was confronted with sections of her and Monqo's bank statements by the state advocate, Evadné Kortjie, on Tuesday 18 May.

She also admitted to booking into a guest house near the Virgin Active Gymnasium in Heather Park during their previous visits, although in previous evidence she told court that they normally stayed with her mother in Thembalethu when in George.

Bank records showed activity in George and Thembalethu on both accused one and two's bank accounts during December 2017 and January 2018, as well as February, March and April 2018.

Certain transactions and cash withdrawals were also made in the area in June 2018 - about a week before Mohapi's death. The court heard that the reasons for these visits were mainly to sort out payments of the silver Suzuki they were renting.

When asked why she did not tell the court about their previous visits to George, she said she didn't see any relevance to the murder.

Conflicting statements
According to Pamba, Monqo forced her to lie to the investigating officer, Sgt Thembekile Matwa, during their interviews with him. The court heard that Monqo allegedly told Pamba what to tell Matwa when he was taking her statement.

However, evidence in court showed conflicting sections in the statements that the two accused gave to Matwa separately. These included wedding arrangements and the crucial part of how accused number three, Phumlani Quesheka, obtained Hlompho's phone.

Pamba's cross-examination was still ongoing at the time of going to print on Wednesday.

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