The man accused of ordering a hit on his businesswoman wife and her friend has told the court he needs treatment for his heart condition.

Thabo Leshabane is accused of hiring four hitmen from Gauteng to kill his wife Makoena Mabusela-Leshabane, 46, and her friend, Tebogo Mphuti, 35.

The two women were murdered in 2020 in a hail of bullets in Polokwane, where they were looking at business premises. He was arrested two weeks after the murder while in hospital where he was admitted after an apparent suicide attempt, along with four suspects at different locations in Gauteng.

On Monday the 57-year-old appeared alongside his co-accused, Ndondo Mbekezi Buthelezi, 25, John Richard Zulu, 30, Bhekinlenzo Sfiso Phigose, 34, and Emanuel Tembtiani Dlamini, 30, in the Limpopo High Court for pretrial.

The case was postponed to August 1.

Limpopo NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said two of the accused in the matter have fired their legal representatives.

TimesLIVE reported that the accused, who are each facing two counts of murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges, were remanded.

Makoena’s family spokesperson, Mmakgabo Ramotshela, previously told TimesLIVE that losing the two women was heartbreaking but said it was almost more hurtful finding out that the husband had been arrested for the murders.

TimesLIVE