Taxi boss Vusi ‘Khekhe’ Mathibela fears being poisoned in jail, court hears

Controversial taxi boss Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela fears he will be poisoned and killed in jail.

This is according to the testimony of a clinical psychologist.

“Mathibela continues to lose weight because he worries that he is going to be poisoned. He refuses to eat food if he has not dished for himself,” the psychologist said.

She said she had later established that he was very fearful and did not trust anyone.

Mathibela’s lawyer told the court that in normal circumstances prisoners stood in line and their food was dished out to them and that Mathibela’s worry was that his food was being dished out in his absence and delivered to his cell.

Mathibela and co-accused Sipho Patrick Hudla, 40, Matamela Robert Mutapa, 46, and Bonginkosi Paul Khumalo, 42, were in court for the continuation of sentencing proceedings on Thursday.

They were convicted on June 23 of murdering North West businessman Wandile Bozwana and attempting to murder his business partner, Mpho Baloyi, on the Garsfontein off-ramp in Tshwane in October 2015.

Mathibela and his three accomplices will only know their sentences in 2023 after their case was postponed to allow the next expert, who is understood to be a social worker, to give evidence in mitigation of sentence.

On Thursday, the court excused the clinical psychologist after she had spent three days giving evidence and being cross-examined. 

In concluding her cross-examination state prosecutor Jennifer Cronje said the psychologist’s report, which included evaluations of the other co-accused, had been “accused-centred”.

“It’s all about them,” she said.

The psychologist said the accused had told her that they were being subjected to inhumane treatment which included having no contact with other people for about 23 hours and  being allowed only two minutes to shower.

Judge Papi Mosopa asked the psychologist why she hadn’t confirmed the truth of their claims.

“Was it difficult to verify? This is what you heard from the accused. You received this information and we agree that it is inhumane treatment, we are not sure if it’s correct. Why did you not verify whether the information given to you was true?” Mosopa asked.

The psychologist said any further consultations wouldn’t have had any influence on the clinical findings.

In her recommendations she said Mathibela required psychotherapeutic intervention to assist him in coping with his condition.

The matter was postponed to May 2 to May 5 2023.

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