A WOMAN in blue pyjamas and a turban followed the late Western Cape High Court acting Judge Patrick Maqubela on the morning he was last seen.
This emerged in court yesterday as the trial of the judge's wife, Thandi Maqubela, continued in the same court in which he had presided.
She is standing trial with Vela Mabhena, a former pastor, for the judge's murder.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
Maqubela has also been charged with forging her husband's signature on a will which names her as the main beneficiary of his estate.
The judge was found dead at his luxury President's Suite apartment in Bantry Bay on June 5 2009.
Rashied Judar, a handyman working at the block of flats, took the stand yesterday. Judar is the 46th witness in a list that includes four high court judges and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.
Before the matter resumed, Judge John Murphy warned journalists to refrain from referring to the late judge as "murdered" and that he was "suffocated" as this was yet to be proven.
Judar testified that he had worked at the flats for almost 17 years. He testified that on June 5 2009 he was painting the yellow lines in the building's lower basement when he saw the judge emerging from the foyer at 8.10am and walk towards his car.
"Five minutes later, I saw a black woman in pyjamas come out of the foyer and move in the direction of the judge. At that stage, I didn't know who it was. At a later stage, I saw her on TV and got to know who the woman was."
Judar said it was protocol that when workers saw tenants in their pyjamas they "move away until (the tenants) disappear".
He said the woman was wearing light-blue floral cotton pyjamas, a turban and a pair of light-blue slippers.
However, Maqubela's lawyer, Advocate Marius Broeksma, poked holes in Judar's testimony. He denied that his client ever owned such pyjamas and even suggested that Judar had lied to police because he kept "adjusting" his story.
He also pointed out that his client was "light skinned", inferring that she did not fit Judar's description of a "black woman".
The trial continues.
'Widow was with judge on day he was last seen'
A WOMAN in blue pyjamas and a turban followed the late Western Cape High Court acting Judge Patrick Maqubela on the morning he was last seen.
This emerged in court yesterday as the trial of the judge's wife, Thandi Maqubela, continued in the same court in which he had presided.
She is standing trial with Vela Mabhena, a former pastor, for the judge's murder.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
Maqubela has also been charged with forging her husband's signature on a will which names her as the main beneficiary of his estate.
The judge was found dead at his luxury President's Suite apartment in Bantry Bay on June 5 2009.
Rashied Judar, a handyman working at the block of flats, took the stand yesterday. Judar is the 46th witness in a list that includes four high court judges and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.
Before the matter resumed, Judge John Murphy warned journalists to refrain from referring to the late judge as "murdered" and that he was "suffocated" as this was yet to be proven.
Judar testified that he had worked at the flats for almost 17 years. He testified that on June 5 2009 he was painting the yellow lines in the building's lower basement when he saw the judge emerging from the foyer at 8.10am and walk towards his car.
"Five minutes later, I saw a black woman in pyjamas come out of the foyer and move in the direction of the judge. At that stage, I didn't know who it was. At a later stage, I saw her on TV and got to know who the woman was."
Judar said it was protocol that when workers saw tenants in their pyjamas they "move away until (the tenants) disappear".
He said the woman was wearing light-blue floral cotton pyjamas, a turban and a pair of light-blue slippers.
However, Maqubela's lawyer, Advocate Marius Broeksma, poked holes in Judar's testimony. He denied that his client ever owned such pyjamas and even suggested that Judar had lied to police because he kept "adjusting" his story.
He also pointed out that his client was "light skinned", inferring that she did not fit Judar's description of a "black woman".
The trial continues.
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