Hewas convicted in 2022 for orchestrating the murder of Tshegofatso Pule by hiring a hitman to carry out the crime. Acting Judge Stewart Wilson, who is presiding over the matter of Ntuthuko Shoba versus the State, will on Monday give judgment on the leave of appeal brought forward. Shoba was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Pule.
HOW THE CRIME HAPPENED
In July, Shoba applied for a leave of appeal for his judgment and sentencing. The convicted killer and mastermind of the murder of his eight months pregnantgirlfriend. Shoba ordered a hit, hiring his accomplice Muzikayise Malephane to execute the murder of Pule for a fee of R70 000.
Malephane fetched Pule from Shoba's complex, and drove with her to an open veld in Noordgesig here he shot her dead, dragged her back into the car, and went tohang her on a tree in Durban deep, Roodepoort 800 meters from where he stays.
SHOBA’S DEFENSE
Shoba’s new defense, Advocate Louis Barnard attempted to poke holes in the report. He brought forward three factors; photographic evidence which showed Shoba accompanying Pule to the vehicle that came to pick her up. The said vehicle is a Jeep that belonged Malephane's partner. Shoba claimed that he never saw that it was his accomplice driving but heard when Pule complained to Malephane that he was drunk.
Barnard also raised the issue of Shoba claiming that he only met with Malephaneto buy cigarettes from him.
In his testimony, Shoba claimed he had known Malephane for 10 years, but he was a friend of a friend.
He then said it was during lockdown when he bumped into him at the robots in Roodepoort that's when Malephane told him that he sells illicit cigarettes. However,Malephane denied this, claiming that he could only outsource alcohol but notcigarettes.
Two witnesses were brought forward, and they corroborated Malephane's claims. The third factor was the meeting at a McDonald's. Barnard said that it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that it was Shoba who tasked Malephane to pick up Pule for the bogus interview they had set her up.
“I'm not going to give a temporary judgment. Given the level of interest in this case, I'm going to take the weekend to consider my decision which I will deliver on Monday at 11 AM,” Wilson stated.
