Murdered domestic worker had 'a strong personality'

A domestic worker, who was gunned down outside Randburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday, was described by her former employer as “unbelievably strong” and an “absolute pleasure” to have at his home.  

“We trusted her implicitly with our children. She was an unbelievably lovely lady, unbelievably strong, unbelievably character-filled,” said the man who asked not to be named.

Sicelobuhle Moyo worked for various homes in the Midrand area.  

Moyo and her partner, Wilfred Dube, were killed outside the Randburg magistrate’s court in an apparent hit ahead of her testimony against four officers accused of assaulting her in 2018 after she was accused by her employer of being behind the robbery.

The man said when he heard about the couple’s murder, he experienced shock. 

On Wednesday, Moyo was expected to be cross-examined about her alleged torture at the hands of the four police officers. According to the charge sheet, Moyo was allegedly tied to a table by her ankles, waist and hands before being waterboarded.

The officers also allegedly covered Moyo’s face with a cloth and forced water into her mount and nose to get information or a confession from her about a house robbery.

The state accused the officers of prevention of combating and torture of persons after they “inflicted severe pain or suffering” on Moyo.

The ex-employer said he had known Moyo since 2017 as she worked for him once a week.

“Unfortunately, she didn’t work for us more than that. But as far as her character goes I did get to know her over the years and she was a very special human being,” he said.

He said what Moyo went through in 2018 was “hell”. 

“She was accused falsely of being part of a robbery as an inside job, which anyone who knows her would attest to it being completely wrong and even if we assumed the police just made an honest mistake. What transpired next was just ridiculously beyond atrocious.

“She was imprisoned or put in jail and then she was taken to an undisclosed location and tortured,” the man said.

He admired that Moyo bounced back after her ordeal. 

“She got through that and not only did she get through that while not being unaffected. She was back and being her usual self within a very short space of time. She is probably one of the strongest people that I have ever met both physically and emotionally based on her character. Her fight, most people would have let it go, just being happy that they had escaped death but she wanted justice.”

Moyo leaves behind three minors – all still in primary school.

“I believe she was fighting for justice so that her boys could live in a better world.”

In her evidence in chief last week, Moyo told the court how police officers took her to a house where they beat her up. She later opened a case against the officers.

A source close to the investigation said Moyo was kept overnight at the Alexandra police cluster office where she was allegedly tortured.

The following morning, one of the police officers who arrested her “realised” that Moyo did not know anything about the robbery and released her. 

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said the police were still searching for the suspects behind the killing of the couple.

On Wednesday, the defence lawyer made an application for the identities of the accused men not to be made public, citing they were not suspects in the murder case which is yet to be heard in court.

State prosecutor Yusuf Baba then made an urgent application for the state to seize the cellphones and firearms of the officers and to have them tested for gunpowder residue.

Chabalalalaj@sowetan.co.za