Mckeed Kotlolo

Mckeed Kotlolo

The widow of a slain Limpopo pharmacist has denied ordering three hitmen to kill her husband.

She says she only wanted them to scare him.

Kgomotso Tladi, 33, Eva Sithole, 45, Gustav Snyman, 19, Samson Mogalaka, 38, and Gilbert Makhobela, 44, are charged with the murder of Andrew Tladi at Marble Hall, Limpopo, on December 3 2004.

They are appearing before Judge Nico Coetzee in the Middelburg circuit court in Mpumalanga.

Yesterday the court heard the evidence of Snyman, who has turned state witness.

Tladi was shot and wounded and then driven in the boot of his Mercedes-Benz to Marble Hall, where he was "finished off", allegedly by Mogalaka.

Tladi's widow told the court through her counsel, Johan van Wyk, that she would state in her evidence that she did not ask the men to kill her husband "but to scare him" so that he would return to their Pretoria home.

Tladi was a senior manager in Limpopo's Health and Social Development Department.

Van Wyk said his client refused to pay the hitmen R150000 each for their part in the murder, but offered them R3000 plus R500.

This was refuted by Snyman, who said that payment had been discussed at one of several meetings at Mogakala's house.

He said the widow told them "she wants us to kill her husband".

Van Wyk, who is also representing family friend Sithole, said his client would say in her evidence that she received a telephone call from Mogalaka to say that Tladi was wounded.

She told Mogalaka to leave Tladi and not to harm him any further.

Asked if he knew of such a telephone conversation, Snyman said he did not.

He told the court how he fled from Tladi's house on the night of the murder because he was scared of what was going to happen.

Snyman said he made a call to Makhobela, who was waiting in a getaway car some distance from Tladi's house.

He said Mogalaka, who had entered the victim's house, came back later asking them for their help.

The trial continues today.