I regret my actions, says double murder accused

Serial murderer Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna has pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and her police officer sister.

Nkuna's double murder trial resumed in the Mpumalanga High Court before judge Takalani Ratshibvumo yesterday.

A month ago, Nkuna and his co-accused had charges of killing Hillary Gardee provisionally withdrawn by the court.

This came after key state witnesses vanished. 

Yesterday, Nkuna pleaded guilty to murdering his girlfriend Pretty Mazibuko and her sister Marcia, who was a police sergeant attached to the Ngodwana police station.

Nkuna's lawyer, who declined to give her first name and was only identified as Moloi, read his plea onto the record.

“On May 15, I went to drop off my girlfriend's child at a boarding school. While at Tekwane [Mbombela], I was called by Pretty asking me where I was and asked me to come pick her up at her cousin's place. When I got there, I found her cousin with her husband and I brought alcohol. We sat and drank.

“Her sister [Marcia] came and greeted everyone, but not me. We were not on good terms because she accused me of being the reason her sister divorced her husband. An argument started and Marcia called me a criminal and started throwing bottles at me.

“I then saw my car driving in reverse. I had a gun on me and I started shooting, thinking that someone was stealing my car. I went to open the door but it was locked and used the back of the gun to try break the window but it could not break. I shot from the front window and I heard someone saying, “he has shot Pretty”. I then opened the door and saw the person I love lying on the steering wheel,” he said.

He said he was hurt when he realised that the person in the car was his girlfriend.

“I went to her sister [Marcia] and pointed a gun at her and asked her to look at what she made me do. She started running towards the house and I fired several shots. I don't know how many, and she died. I regret my actions,” he said.

The state rejected Nkuna's version in regards to Pretty's murder. 

First witness Vusumuzi Zwane took the stand, saying that on the day Nkuna killed the siblings, he [Nkuna] had an argument with them and left, only to return 10 minutes later and shot them.

“The deceased are my neighbours and my wife is their cousin. They were seated at my garage drinking when this man [Nkuna] came. I was inside the house resting as I was not feeling well and I heard that they were arguing and I came out and reprimanded them.

“Nkuna drove off... he came back and went closer to Pretty and shot a glass that was near her. I saw him taking her phone and pressed it... Pretty passed him and got into the car and locked herself inside. The accused went to knock at the windows saying, 'Pretty open here, Pretty open here”.

“That's when I saw him shoot her. He then came back to the garage and this time I could not reprimand him [as I was] fearing for my life. I went up the stairs to the bedroom, Marcia followed me. While we were running up; he fired shots and I went inside the room and held the door behind me.

“Marcia tried to enter a certain room and I heard her saying, 'don't shoot me, there are children sleeping here'. Shortly after that, I heard gunshots. When I went out of the room, I found Marcia lying facedown,” said Zwane.

The trial continues.

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