GEORGE NEWS - The trial of Zipho Nqoko (24), who stands accused of murdering a young boy from Thembalethu, Imange Jantjies (8), continued in the George Circuit High Court today, Thursday 3 November.
Three witnesses testified this morning. One of them was the investigating officer, WO Esmerelda Jackson, who was also on the scene the day Imange was murdered.
Nqoko is facing charges of kidnapping and murder after he allegedly stabbed the child several times inside a shack in Thembalethu on Thursday 19 August.
In her testimony Jackson told the court that during the investigation she found no reason to believe that there could be any other suspects. She said that after Nqoko was arrested he was very relaxed and even smiled when police took the official photos of him after he was informed of his rights and charged with murder.
A mother's worst nightmare
The child's mother Annelisiwe Jantjies (25) testified on Tuesday, in an emotional recollection of the fateful day.
The child's brutal death followed an alleged domestic altercation between Nqoko and Jantjies, who were dating at the time.
After the altercation, the suspect allegedly took the child without the mother's knowledge. When she realised he was gone she immediately started searching for him and she testified that one of Imange's friends told her that her son had left with Nqoko.
At about 18:30 that evening, Jantjies went to the Thembalethu police station to report her child as missing. Nqoko arrived at the station while she was there. The child was not with him. Jantjies testified that the accused told her that he had killed her child.
Imange’s body was later discovered by police in Nqoko's shack where he stayed on a friend's property. The child had multiple stab wounds. Nqoko was arrested shortly afterwards and has been in custody since.
Blood on his pants
A former friend of Nqoko and the person on whose premises he was staying, also testified this morning. He told the court that he noticed blood on Nqoko's pants when he saw him at a shop in Thembalethu that afternoon. The witness was also with the child's mother when Nqoko arrived at the police station.
The trial is set to continue until 11 November.
Previous articles:
- Grieving mother of boy (8) testifies in murder trial
- Brutal child murder case in High Court
- Child's murder case goes to High Court
- Bail application abandoned after murder of boy (8)
- Bail application after brutal death of 8-year-old
- Two children stabbed to death
- Murder suspect (23) of eight-year-old boy to appear in court
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