Durban — The police officer who was arrested and charged for murdering his wife allegedly blasted her head with a shotgun.
The gruesome details of how Thobeka Nene, a teacher at Inchanga primary school was killed emerged on Wednesday at Camperdown Magistrate’s Court west of Durban during the bail hearing of the accused.
Testifying against the granting of bail to the accused, Sergeant Mthokozisi Nene, the investigating officer Captain Bathabile Mdladla said the post-mortem result revealed that the deceased had her head blown up with a shotgun, adding that the shotgun pellet was found stuck in her head.
The investigating officer further revealed that before she died that night she had sent a voice note to her mother-in-law pleading with her to call the police, saying the accused had started “his thing”.
She clarified that in the voice note the deceased told her mother-in-law that the accused was banging on the door of the room she was sleeping in. But the mother-in-law neither called the police nor “bothered” to come and check.
Furthermore, the investigating officer told the court that police found several live rounds of shotgun and R 5 rifle ammunition inside and in the yard of the Nene house where the incident happened.
She added that when Nene was questioned about his wife’s death he said two unknown gunmen shot her while she was in the garage, adding that when he came out with his private pistol the two fled the scene.
The investigating officer further testified that when the accused was asked to show the firearm he used to chase the suspects he failed to produce it.
Mdladla said during a police search inside the house, a 9mm Norinco pistol was found hidden in the washing basket in the bathroom.
She said although the suspect had a gun licence, it had expired. Also found by police were blood-stained blue pyjamas which were hidden on top of the wardrobe in the room.
The investigating officer said the DNA results were not yet out.
Outlining her reasons to oppose bail, Captain Mdladla cited concerns about the safety of the accused, adding that she had received information that his house was torched last week as a result of community anger.
She also revealed that the couple had divorced last year but were still staying together although they were sleeping in separate rooms.
Another reason she cited for opposing bail was that witnesses were scared to come forward because the accused was known as a feared person in the area, saying although many saw him shooting the wife, only one person had made a statement.
The court also heard that the accused was charged with murder in 2014 but was acquitted and in 2019 he shot and injured his colleague while they were at his house (accused house). The accused remains behind bars.
Outside court, gender-based violence activists and the victim’s colleagues who are members of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union came out in big numbers to oppose bail. Social workers led by Social Development chief director Neli Mzizi were also present.
Nene was arrested three weeks ago and charged for his wife’s murder.
Daily News