Durban — A Morningside man alleged to have stabbed and killed his fiancée in front of their two children will stand trial for the murder next year in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
In October last year, Mhleli Lindley Ndaba allegedly stabbed Dima Phohlo in their home while their two boys, aged 3 and 5, were present.
When she managed to escape the attack, he ran after her and allegedly continued stabbing her outside the property.
According to Phohlo’s family, the day before the murder she had told them she was coming back home and leaving the home the couple shared and that the accused was abusive and would hit her when he came home drunk.
Ndaba appeared in court recently, where dates were set for his trial to be heard over six days early next year.
It was Ndaba’s fourth appearance in the regional court after his matter was transferred from the district court where his bail application was heard.
His defence is advocate Jay Naidoo, instructed by attorney SP Msimango.
Ndaba is out on R20 000 bail, granted in November last year by magistrate Xolile Manjezi on condition that he relocate to Stanger (KwaDukuza) and not contact his two children or witnesses in the matter.
At the time, the magistrate said there had been no evidence in any form from the deceased’s family that Ndaba had previously threatened them or the two minor children.
Magistrate Manjezi granted Ndaba bail on the basis that there had been no history of any gender-based violence committed by Ndaba before this offence was presented to the court.
While there had been evidence before the court that a person who had intervened on the day Phohlo was killed was threatened by Ndaba, there was no evidence that the accused would prevent that person from testifying in court., the magistrate said.
On the day of the alleged murder, Phohlo allegedly attempted to flee from Ndaba and tried getting into a car that was passing, but he caught up with her after she fell and allegedly stabbed her again.
There is CCTV footage of the scene purportedly showing Phohlo being chased by Ndaba outside their rented property in Morningside in which she falls and is stabbed repeatedly. It purportedly shows her on the ground with hands stretched out and Ndaba bent over her. Ndaba’s version is that he acted in self-defence after allegedly being attacked by the mother of his children in an argument.
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