Alleged hitman disputes state’s version of taxi boss murder

A man, who allegedly confessed to helping Rebecca Mfolo plot and execute the killing of her “abusive” husband, has given a different account of where he was at the time of the murder.

He claims he was at his girlfriend’s place when Mfolo’s husband was killed.

On Tuesday, Lucky Kudumane, Mfolo, Bafana Mototsoe and Sfiso Manana appeared at the Pretoria high court where they are charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of the late taxi boss Aubrey Mfolo in January 2023.

While the court was expecting to hear the defence case, advocate Desmond Thanjekwayo, representing Kudumane, applied for the investigator Julius Nkgweng to be recalled, as there was a version that they wanted to put to him.

Thanjekwayo said Kudumane had briefed him that on the day of the murder he was at his girlfriend’s place. The girlfriend’s name is Masfudi, he said.

Kudumane also denied knowing the Mfolo couple.

However, Nkgweng denied the version, stating that there is an eyewitness who has testified in court that he saw Kudumane with his co-accused on the day Aubrey was gunned down.

In a confession statement before court, Kudumane said a woman called Dineo had informed him that they had a job for him to kill someone’s husband.

Kudumane agreed to do the job. He said after they kidnapped Aubrey and subsequently killed him, they then went to Mfolo who promised to give them R15,000 for cleansing.

Mfolo, whose confession was made on the night she was arrested and has been accepted by the court, claims that she had hired the hitmen because she had suffered abuse from her husband.

“I suffered so many years. I was sleeping next door for my safety with [my] kids because the abuse never stopped; it continued. I lost my job because he was jealous and possessive. He had an affair with another lady from Bapong and impregnated her,” she said.

Mfolo said there was a point when her husband wanted to set her alight. 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. They then left with him in the taxi.

Proceedings continue.

Sowetan