Former Blue Bulls flanker Joseph Ntshongwana's mother, Nomafa Letlaka, yesterday blamed doctors for "letting her son down" by allowing him to roam the streets of Durban instead of keeping him in a psychiatric hospital.

Letlaka told the Durban High Court that she was not suggesting that her son was guilty but was concerned that doctors did not take his mental condition seriously.

"After he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia he was on medication between December 2009 [and] December 2010," she said.

"Over this period, he relapsed over and over again and, on December 23 2010, he was once again admitted to RK Khan Hospital, but was discharged on January 3 2011, which I think was a very short period of time. I think the doctors made a mistake by discharging him."

Letlaka was testifying at a hearing to determine whether her son was mentally fit to stand trial for three grisly axe murders.

The 34-year-old is accused of killing Paulos Hlongwa and Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu, and an unidentified man, in March 2011.

Hlongwa's head was found in a dustbin in the Durban suburb of Merebank on March 22.

Cebekhulu was killed in the city's suburb of Montclair on March 20, and the body of an unidentified man was found in Umbilo on March23.

According to the indictment, on November 26 2010, Ntshongwana assaulted Mhleli Tholo in Yellowwood Park.

Two days later, he allegedly kidnapped a woman, held her captive at his home and assaulted her for three days before releasing her.

Letlaka said the police had fabricated evidence against her son.

But Judge Kate Pillay retorted: "Are you suggesting that the police took photos of some dead people and put them into the docket?"

Letlaka responded that she was not referring to the photographs.

"My lord, I don't mean that. All I am saying is that the police showed my daughter a photo of a woman carrying a baby. They claim that the woman is Joseph's child's mother, but we know that's not true," she said.

Investigating officer Lieutenant-Colonel Jason McGray had testified earlier that Ntshongwana was aware of his actions when he went on the alleged killing rampage.

The court was told that, on March20, Ntshongwana killed Cebekhulu with an axe.

The next day, it was said, he attempted to kill Siyanda Khumalo in Umlazi. Khumalo fled after being hit with an axe.

A few hours later, Ntshongwana allegedly attacked Khangelani Mdluli in Lamontville. Mdluli also escaped.

"The victim said he saw the car driving slowly past him and make a U-turn and the man took out an axe from a yellow plastic bag and attacked him. [The assailant] asked [Mdluli] why he gave his baby girl Aids and struck him, but [Mdluli] managed to run away," said McGray.

McGray testified that the accused had decapitated Hlongwa on the same day.

The hearing continues today.