Sphamandla Khumalo planned to kill the mother of his two children when he stabbed her at least 22 times in the parking lot of the Gateway shopping centre on August 4, the Durban high court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Krishen Shah made his closing statement in Khumalo’s trial for Nomfundo Msibi’s murder.
Khumalo and another man fled the taxi rank after Msibi, 30, was stabbed to death and lay in a pool of blood on the ground. An okapi knife was found lodged in her body.
Khumalo, who is represented by Legal Aid attorney Phumelele Danisa, elected not to testify in his defence. He pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder.
“There was no evidence to suggest this was a spur of the moment [killing]. There was intent. The victim was prevented from walking away during an argument,” Shah said.
Msibi’s wounds in her neck and the knife lodged in her body showed the brutality with which Khumalo acted.
The court previously heard how the couple, who had split up in May 2024, agreed to meet at the mall where Khumalo’s lay-by purchase at Truworths, taken in Msibi’s name, was to be settled.
Shah submitted video footage of Msibi’s final moments, which was screened in court on Tuesday. It showed the couple quarrelling and Khumalo is seen repeatedly stabbing Msibi. She falls to the ground and Khumalo bends down and continues to stab her and attempts to slit her throat. He then stands up and straddles her while continuing the attack.
Judge Jacqueline Henriques said though Khumalo admitted to stabbing Msibi, he maintained this was not his intention.
Shah responded: “I don’t want to make a meal of the evidence about how Msibi fled to live in the KwaMashu area because she was being followed by Khumalo. It’s proof they were not together [despite his claims].”
There was also no explanation why he was armed with the knife.
Henriques said there was nothing to contradict the evidence of investigating officer Det-Const Boitumelo Phama, who likened the attack to the “slaughtering of an animal”, or the footage.
“There were 22 knife incisions in the body of the victim,” she said.
Judgment is expected when the case resumes on March 24.
TimesLIVE
0 Comments