Durban — Moments after the robbery and murder of Chatsworth pensioner, Jinsee Ram, three of the four men who entered her home boarded a minibus taxi headed for the Durban CBD.
Mthethunzima “Stars” Mpepho was testifying in the Durban High Court during the first day of the trial on Thursday.
Ram was killed in her home in February 2020 where R40000 was taken as well as a laptop and cellphones.
Mpepho and his co-accused Bheki Msomi and Luvo Mtshezane face charges of murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Simphiwe Cele who was Ram’s employee was deemed unfit for trial and is now in a state psychiatric hospital.
Mpepho said that while they were fleeing the home Ram’s daughter, Sangetha Prithipaul began screaming for help. Prithipaul was allegedly beaten up during the robbery.
Mpepho said people were trying to intercept him and Cele.
“We saw people ahead of us. Simphiwe had a knife. He ran straight ahead and I jumped over the fence to the neighbour’s house. Simphiwe caught up with me on the next road.
“On the way to Burlington, we met people on the way who told us they had seen Msomi and Mtshezane carrying something. When we asked what things, they told us that it was a laptop and cellphones,” Mpepho told the court.
Mpepho said their plan was just to get the money. He argued with Msomi and Mtshezane as to why they had taken the items.
“It appeared that Msomi had taken the laptop and phones. Mtshezane did not know this,” he told the court.
Mpepho told the court how he and his accomplices split the money equally among themselves in Burlington Heights, Shallcross. Mpepho saw the police in the area looking for Cele.
Mpepho, Msomi and Mtshezane boarded a taxi to Durban. Mpepho said while they were in the taxi they got a call notifying them that a person had died at the place they robbed.
Mpepho headed to his homestead in Matatiele where he was later arrested. Msomi and Mtshezane headed back to Shallcross where they were arrested.
Mpepho said during his time hiding out in Matatiele he had been in constant communication with Mtshezane but after a day or so could no longer get in contact with him.
“His brother phoned me asking me what we had done. I told him to ask Luvo that. Three days after this I decided to switch my phone off.
“On the night I was arrested, when I switched on my phone I saw many missed calls. On that night I saw many people barging into my home. They were the police.
“They beat me and asked where the money was. I told them I only had R5000 left and gave it to them,” he concluded.
The trial continues today (Monday) when Msomi’s Legal Aid defence counsel will cross-examine Mpepho.
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