KEY POINTS
- Court shows harrowing video of Sibisi’s brutal stabbing at Gateway Mall.
- Family members walk out, unable to watch the emotional footage.
- The trial is postponed, with closing arguments set for Wednesday.
The Durban High Court became a scene of raw emotion and anguish on Tuesday as the murder trial of Sphamandla Siyalo Khumalo unfolded.
The family of Nomfundo Sibisi, the woman Khumalo allegedly killed, struggled to watch as video footage of her brutal stabbing was played in court. Some family members left the courtroom, unable to bear the harrowing images.
According to the prosecution, Khumalo, 37, who is Sibisi’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her child, allegedly lured her to Truworths at Gateway Mall on August 4, 2024, under the pretense of completing a lay-by purchase for their child. But what started as a routine errand turned into a deadly encounter.
After a dispute over payment for the purchase, Khumalo allegedly followed Sibisi towards Parade B taxi rank, where he attacked her with a knife, stabbing her repeatedly.
Chilling evidence: The moment of attack
State prosecutor advocate Krishen Shah introduced shocking CCTV footage as evidence, showing Sibisi running while bleeding, trying to escape Khumalo.
The video captures her desperate struggle, but Khumalo catches up to her and continues stabbing her.
Court documents revealed that witnesses at the taxi rank were too terrified to intervene. They only stepped in after Sibisi was already on the ground, lifeless.
According to IOL, even after the attack, Khumalo remained aggressive, standing over her body with the murder weapon still in his hands.
A police officer from SAPS soon arrived at the scene and arrested Khumalo, who sat beside Sibisi’s body.
A History of abuse and a cry for justice
Testifying in court, Sibisi’s boyfriend, Mthobisi Harris Gasela, described her troubled past with Khumalo. He revealed that she had endured abuse at his hands before their breakup.
“She told me Spha was abusive, that he used to hit her, and that’s why they broke up,” Gasela told the court.
Despite warnings from Khumalo to stay away from Sibisi, Gasela said she had already moved on. She wanted nothing to do with her ex.
Judge Jacqueline Henriques postponed the trial to Wednesday for closing arguments, and they expect a verdict afterward.
