Sivuyile Ntlonze, for the accused, said his clients stabbed Mpofu in self defence.

Two men accused of attacking advocate Dali Mpofu told the East London Regional Court it was not a robbery but a struggle over pants, the Sowetan reported on Thursday.

Mpofu was stabbed on a beach in East London in April last year. Accused Chuma Komeni and Thulani Simon both pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Sivuyile Ntlonze, for the accused, said his clients stabbed Mpofu in self defence.

Ntlonze said Komeni was relieving himself in the bush when Simon walked down to the beach to get sea water to use as a laxative. He saw a pair of pants lying unattended and walked over to it. Mpofu then appeared from the bushes.

Komeni went to help his friend when Mpofu assaulted him, said Ntlonze. When the assault got serious, Komeni stabbed Mpofu with a nail clipper.

Mpofu reportedly said this was a lie as he was stabbed with knives.

Mpofu said he sitting on the sand dunes at the beach. When he realised the sand was wet, he took off his pants and placed them next to him.