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Cop testifying in Rhodes Park case changes tune

Gavel
Gavel

The bodies of Sizwe Tyeke and Zukisa Kela, who were drowned at Rhodes Park in Johannesburg, were cold and naked when police divers retrieved them.

The corpses had been at the dam for more than two hours when they were brought to surface.

This was contained in the testimony of Constable Bambatha Tshabalala, who was the state's witness in the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He gave the court details of what he saw in October 17 last year when he was called to the crime scene at Rhodes Park in Kensington. This was after Kela and Tyeke were drowned by a group of men. Their partners, Jabu Mbatha and Siphokazi Tyeke, were later raped.

Tshabalala said that evening while patrolling, he received a call from control office alerting him to a noise complaint from a certain Thomas Rebombo, who lived next to the park. On his arrival at the park, Tshabalala met Rebombo, who had been comforting the two women.

"The divers arrived just after 8pm ... and it took them more than two hours to retrieve the bodies," Tshabalala said. "Both bodies were naked and had their hands fastened from behind."

However, his version of the condition of the bodies changed when state advocate Mutuwa Nengovhela showed him pictures of the deceased, who appeared to be wearing their shirts. At this point, Tshabalala defended himself by saying maybe he had forgotten some of the details because the incident happened "a long time ago".

Defence counsel Robert Xaba exploited this statement. "When you were answering questions from the state counsel you seemed sure of what you were saying, and that the bodies were fastened and naked. What made you insist that those bodies were tied?" he charged.

Tshabalala, however, said he was repeating what he had been told by the deceased's partners.

The trial continues.

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