A North West widow allegedly asked her husband's former employee to kill him six months before he was gunned down in 2023.
This was revealed in a confession by one of the accused, Bafana Matotsoe, which was read out in the Pretoria high court on Wednesday.
The wife, Rebecca Mfolo, Matotsoe, Lucky Kudumane and Sifiso Manana are standing trial for the murder of Mfolo's husband Aubrey. They face charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Mototsoe worked for the Mfolo family as a taxi driver.
“In June 2022, I received a call from Mrs Mfolo, she knows me as I used to drive their taxi before I got sick. She asked me to find a witchdoctor who would help her kill her husband because he was giving her problems, and I told her that I don't know anyone who can help her,” the court heard.
“In September 2022, Mrs Mfolo called, asking me to help her organise people who can kill her husband. During that call I was with Lucky, who told me that he can do the job and I gave him the phone. Mrs Mfolo promised to pay him [for the job]. Lucky told me he will find other people to help him kill [Mr] Mfolo.”
Mototsoe said on January 10 2023, he received a call from Kudumane, who informed him that he was ready to do the job and that the daughter of the deceased was the one who would help them gain access to the house.
“He told me that I must fetch him in Maboloka, where I found him with Sfiso and Lucas. Lucky showed me a silver pistol and told me that he had told Mrs Mfolo's daughter to tell her mother not to lock the gate and the house. We then drove to Letlhabile, and at around 21.00 I left them at Mr Mfolo's house and drove away.”
He said an hour later, Kudumane called him for assistance.
“I walked to the house and found Mr Mfolo with masking tape on his mouth, eyes, hands and feet. We then loaded him into the taxi and drove to Letlhabile cemetery.
“Lucky handed over his firearm to [a certain man called] Lucas [who is still on the run], who shot Mr Mfolo three times – once in his head and twice in the upper body,” he said.
In her confession, Rebecca said she hired hitmen to kill her husband because he was abusive and a cheater who had impregnated another woman.
“I suffered for so many years. I was sleeping next door with [my] kids for our safety because the abuse never stopped. I lost my job because he was jealous and possessive. He had an affair with another lady from Bapong and impregnated her,” she said.
I suffered for so many years. I was sleeping next door with [my] kids for our safety because the abuse never stopped. I lost my job because he was jealous and possessive.
— Rebecca Mfolo
She said there was a time when her husband wanted to set her alight, and she returned to her parental home. After having had enough of the abuse, she spoke to Manana, who told her he would “look for the people who can do the job for us”.
On the night of the murder, she said, her husband was asleep when he was woken by people beating him up. After assaulting him and taking some of his belongings, they left with him in a taxi.
Kudumane said a woman called Dineo, together with Mototsoe, told him they had a job for him to kill someone. He said the two told him that Mfolo had hired hitmen before, but that they could not agree on the price.
Kudumane agreed to do the job, then went with Dineo and Mototsoe to Brits, where they showed him the deceased’s house. A few days later, Dineo, Lucas, a woman called Kethiwe, and Mototsoe went to the deceased’s house.
The door was opened by Mfolo’s 17-year-old granddaughter, who led Kudumane, Mototsoe and Lucas to the bedroom where her father and mother were sleeping.
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