The Limpopo man accused of killing his four children broke down as he told the Limpopo High Court that he did not commit the crime.
Lucas Phasha, 52, who is on trial for the brutal murders of his four children – Katlego, 9, Joyce, 7, Tshepo, 5, and Adel, 3, – told the court on Thursday that he had been framed.
His lawyer Lawrence Mkhize asked him if he killed the children.
"I didn't kill my children. I didn't kill them," a sobbing Phasha responded.
This forced judge Gerrit Muller to adjourn the proceedings to allow him to calm down.
Phasha said on the day his children were murdered, he had been away to consult a prophet at Atok, about 30km from his home village of GaPhasha-Selatole near Burgersfort.
He said after Atok he spent the night at his girlfriend's home in Lebowakgomo.
"I went to consult with a prophet after my wife's aunt told me that my life was in danger. When I finished with the prophet, I then caught a taxi to my girlfriend's place because it was closer than home," he said.
Lebowakgomo is 50km from Atok.
The children were found dead at two separate locations at Ga-Phasha-Selatole on February 18 last year.
Phasha, a former lawyer accused, his enemies for framing him for the brutal murders due to a local conflict over mining activities and proceeds thereof.
"I'm the secretary of the mining committee in the area and there is a faction that is determined to loot the community shares. I have been blocking them and they are seeing me as an obstacle because of my qualifications and intelligentsia," he said.
He accused a businessman and another local man for the murders.
He said the businessman once threatened to kill him and his family after the man fraudulently bought property from his (Phasha) father.
"When I confronted him, he threatened to kill me. I went to the police and they refused to open a case," he said.
He said the businessman, who he described as Indian, is occupying the property, on which Baroka General Dealer operates, by force. The business is along the R37, a business route linking Burgersfort and Polokwane.
Phasha further blamed Nelson Phasha, a relative, for the children's murder.
"Nelson also threatened to kill me because he is angry and seeks revenge after I assisted the community to remove him as a director of the trust. He is bitter and wanted revenge hence he framed me," he said.
Prosecutor Mashudu Mudau called on Phahsha to stop cooking theories and produce tangible proof.
Phasha took a swipe at the police for failing to assist his wife Sylvia Monyela when she went to open a case.
Monyela earlier this week told the court that Phasha abducted and raped her a day before he allegedly killed the children.
She said when she went to report the matter, she was told to go to another cop shop about 50km away to apply for a protection order.
Monyela further testified how she found three of her children with nails behind their ears and the other had been crushed with a rock.
"The state has failed me and my family, Sylvia went to the police and she wasn't helped. I also went to the police to report the businessman who is taking my property and I was refused," Phasha said.
The trial continues.
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