Moses Sithole
Testimony
The addition of Amanda Thethe’s murder to the charges against Sithole was wrapped in controversy ever since it became known. Not only had David Selepe been pointing out this scene when he was killed, but Amanda’s killer had used her bank card to withdraw money from an automatic teller machine on three occasions in the days after she was killed. He had been photographed by a security camera, and police had stated previously that the man on this photo was David Selepe. Now Sithole was also charged with this act of robbery.
On Nov. 18, Siphiwe Ngwenya, who had worked at Kids Haven with Tryphina Mogotsi, identified the man on the security camera photo as Moses Sithole, the man who had visited Kids Haven and had had an appointment with Tryphina on the day she disappeared. The nail of death, however, was when Sithole’s sister, Kwazi, told the court that the man on the photo was her brother. She also testified that women frequently phoned her home about job offers.
But there were more disturbing facts that would come to light. Sithole had known Amanda Thethe, and had visited her father’s home some months before she disappeared. She introduced him as Selbie, her boyfriend. She was found on
Wilhelmina Ramphisa met ”David Ngobeni” in March of 1995. He offered her a job and she filled in an application form. She was probably very disappointed and quite angry when he didn’t keep their appointment to meet again. Of course, months later, when she saw David Ngobeni again, this time on the television news, and learned that he was actually Moses Sithole, believed to have killed more than 30 women, she must have gone ice cold, and then cried from happiness that he never showed.
Many witnesses testified. Fathers described the agony of having to identify their battered and broken daughters. Many tears were shed in that courtroom. Sithole, mostly, just sat and smiled.
Dan Mokwena testified that he had been sitting with Elizabeth Mathetsa outside their place of employment early in 1995. A man walked up to them and
Piet Tsotsetsi, a truck driver, testified that he received numerous calls on the cellular phone in his truck from women about job offers he had supposedly made. He knew nothing about it. During this time, however, Sithole had been employed at the same company to wash the trucks. Elsie Masango’s sister testified that a man calling himself “Piet Tsotsetsi” had offered Elsie a job shortly before she disappeared. Tsotsetsi stated that the phone calls stopped after Sithole’s arrest.
On Nov. 12, the trial had to be suspended when Sithole began to bleed. He had fallen during the weekend and reopened a previous wound to his leg. He was taken to hospital, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Mary Mogotlhoa testified that she had had a relationship with Sithole, whom she knew as “Charles,” shortly before his arrest. Although it had lasted only about two weeks, he had given her a watch during this time, which Tryphina Mogotsi’s mother testified looked just like her daughter’s. Mary described how Sithole laid a charge of rape against her at a police station after their relationship ended, and also accused her of stealing $82 from him.
Monica Gabisile’s grandmother testified that a man identifying himself as “Moses Sithole” had phoned her house prior to Monica’s disappearance in September 1995. They had met a month earlier and he phoned to say that he had found work for Monica in Germiston. She left her grandmother’s house the next day and was never seen alive again. Three days later, a man phoned again. Although he said his name was Jabulane, Monica’s grandmother recognized his voice as that of Sithole. He phoned again before Monica’s funeral, this time identifying himself as Mandla. Again she recognized his voice. Sithole was in custody and claimed that he would be found innocent. He also said Monica got what she deserved and that the grandmother could walk over her body.
Although this speaks to Sithole’s pleasure in bestowing pain on others is the fact that on this occasion, he chose the name “Mandla” instead of the usual “Martin” or any of the other aliases. During his interrogation, David Selepe claimed that he had had two accomplices, namely “Tito” and “Mandla.” Sithole used many names, but this is quite a coincidence. Although Selepe’s supposed accomplices had been mentioned in the newspapers, their names had not been made public. Detectives had spoken to a Mandla who had been detained both at the time of questioning and during the
Peter Magubane, a well-known photographer, testified that he had been contacted by someone from The Star about two streetchildren. Outside the building he met Sithole, who identified himself as ‘Patrick’ (his brother’s name), a girl of 11 and a boy of 14. They took the girl to the Johannesburg Child Welfare and convinced the boy to go back to his parents. At a later date, the photographer was again contacted by a woman, and this time met “Patrick” and two girls as Park Station in
Dr. Leendert Jansen, a voice identification specialist, testified that the voice on the police recordings of conversations between “Joseph Magwena” and the reporter Tamsen de Beer—to which she had testified earlier—and that on the recordings he had made of Sithole, belonged to the same man. “I have no doubt that the unknown voice is in reality the voice of Moses Sithole,” he said according to the Beeld of
When Sithole’s common-law wife, Martha, entered the court, he was very excited about seeing his 1-year-old daughter. She testified with the child sleeping in her arms. After the proceedings he waved, but Martha didn’t want him to see their daughter. This was the only time during the protracted trial that he cried. Some people laughed at him.
After Insp. Mulovhedzi described the events surrounding Sithole’s apprehension, Eben Jordaan painted a different picture during cross-examination. According to Sithole’s version, he merely bumped into the police officer, and when he turned to say he was sorry, the officer drew his gun and fired multiple shots. Moreover, Sithole never had an axe.
On Nov. 30, via the newspapers, the police requested the public’s help in identifying eight of Sithole’s victims.
And then all the drama started.
