Johannesburg – Ntuthuko Shoba, the man alleged to have ordered a hit on his pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule, will be on the hot seat against today as the state continues to present its case against him at the Joburg High Court.
The heavily pregnant Pule was found dead in June 2020, hanging on a tree in Florida Lake, Roodepoort with stab wounds.
The prosecuting authority has fingered Shoba as the mastermind behind the killing of Pule. This comes after the convicted killer Muzikayise Malephane spilled the beans that Shoba orchestrated the cruel murder.
Last week, the court heard testimonies over cellphone records, that incorporated the WhatsApp messages between Shoba and Pule, revealing that they had been fighting before she was killed.
The WhatsApp screenshots presented before the court showed that the two were in quarrel. On the night she disappeared, Shoba allegedly sent the voice note to Pule: “Tshego, I’m done trying to be a good guy. Do what you wish.”
Pule then asked him why he was mad and said he “always wanted to chicken out”.
Several witnesses have testified at the trial including investigative officer sergeant Mpe Teme, cellphone expert Andries van Tonder from the police, who specializes in cellphone mapping, and Vodacom’s forensic liaison manager Petro Heyneke.
On Thursday, the state recalled sergeant Teme to the stand in the high court, after Shoba’s lawyer Norman Makhubela requeted Teme to clarify why he didn’t mention the discovery of some aspects pertaining the arrest of Shoba in his previous statements, but only mentioned all the details in court.
Teme responded by saying: “We were still busy with the investigations before we could make our own statements.”
Makhubela further probed Teme on why he did not make a statement upon discovering that there were no messages from Pule on Shoba’s first phone.
“You must recall, my lord, that I mentioned that at the time I was taking down the accused’s statement, he was not a suspect.
At that stage, we were looking for the perpetrator of the offence,” Teme defended himself.
The court then adjourned the proceedings to today, where state witnesses will today give their in-depth testimonies.
Shoba faces one count of murder, alternatively conspiracy to commit murder, and one count of defeating the ends of justice.
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