Update

GEORGE NEWS - "He was even dangerous to me in his sleep." This is what the court heard when accused number two in the Hlompho Mohapi (Koloi) murder trial, Siphosihle Pamba (26), took the stand on Wednesday morning, 12 May.

She testified of severe physical abuse and adultery during her relationship with co-accused and husband, Melisiswe Monqo (33), who according to her, forced her to take out no less than 12 fraudulent life and funeral policies during 2017 and 2018.

She told court that Monqo (accused number one in the case) did not only threaten her life, but also the lives of her young child and her mother if she did not obey his commands to take out the fraudulent policies.

She told the court she endured his abuse for five months before she submitted to his demands and took out the first policy on the life of Nomfundiso Booi - the woman Monqo had an affair with in the Eastern Cape.

The alleged battered wife, who claims to be a law student, admitted to knowing that what they were doing was illegal, but said she did it as a last resort due to the constant abuse and threats on her and her family's lives.

She testified that Monqo took her phone from her and "stalked" her to prevent her from telling anyone about the abuse and the policies.

She said that she refused at first as she knew it could lead to jail time.

"I tried to fight, I tried asking for help, but it failed. There was nothing else I could do but take out the policies. I was scared. I was scared of dying as he had choked me before," Pamba said.

The court also heard that Monqo tried to drown her once by forcing her head into a washbasin filled with water.

The abuse allegedly escalated to such an extent that she tried to take her own life by drinking a mixture of cleaning detergents.

Mohapi's death

Pamba confessed that when she heard Mohapi (25) had been murdered, she immediately felt responsible as she made the link and knew she took out the policy on Mohapi's life. However, she testified that Monqo did not seem shocked at all.

"But I saw 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 Monqo.

"I panicked and I was scared. I had a lot of information on accused number one, but he could've done anything to me at that time if the information came out," she testified.

She also said Monqo told her what to say to the detective, Sergeant Thembekile Matwa, when they went to see him. And that, when she was alone in an interview with Matwa she did not trust him enough to give him the information she had about the policies and Mohapi's death.

Although she admitted to taking out the policy on Mohapi's life, she testified that she had no involvement in the abduction or murder of Mohapi.

By the time the paper went to print, Pamba was still giving her testimony.

The case serves in front of Judge Taswell Papier. Adv Evadne Kortjé is for the state, Adv Johan Visser (SC) represents Monqo, Adv Dawie Scholtz represents Pamba and Att Louise Luterek will be representing Quesheka.

Monqo in the witness stand

Monqo's cross examination started last Tuesday after he testified and ended on Tuesday this week.

During his testimony Monqo was adamant that Mohapi was murdered as part of a scheme by him and Numfondiso Booi to frame Pamba.

The court heard that Mohapi's murder, along with the three earlier attempted murders in the Eastern Cape in which Monqo is also a suspect, as well as the life and funeral policies that were taken out on the names of the various victims, were all masterminded by Booi, a member of his church whom he had an affair with in the Eastern Cape. He said he was not physically involved in her murder and that Booi threatened him in an attempt to have Pamba arrested, so that Booi and Monqo could be together.

According to Monqo, Booi also threatened the lives of his family and his children if he didn't do what she told him to.

According to Pamba she new Booi from church and found out about the affair in January 2017, after which her relationship with Monqo started deteriorating and Monqo started to receive threatening messages on his phone.