The State called more witnesses to testify in the murder trial of Limpopo businessman Rameez Patel on Thursday‚ with a domestic worker testifying how she heard a gunshot and a woman screaming on the day Patel’s wife was killed.
Patel who is out on R250‚000 bail‚ stands accused of killing his wife and the mother of his three children‚ Fatima Patel‚ at their home in Nirvana in Polokwane on April 10 last year.
According to the post mortem report Fatima was shot in the face‚ strangled and suffered blunt force injuries to her face.
The High Court in Polokwane has heard testimony from various state witnesses including the doctor‚ Arnold Mamashela‚ who conducted a post mortem on Fatima's body‚ as well as community patrol officer Gawie Botha throughout the course of the week.
The domestic worker of Patel's next door neighbour Sarah Malatji was still expected to return to the stand after the court adjourned for lunch on Thursday.
Malatji told the court she heard a gunshot and a woman screaming on the day Fatima was killed.
Malatji said she had been doing her usual duties when she saw Patel’s eldest son climb into a white car.
She also recalled seeing a silver-grey car speeding out of the complex shortly before she heard the scream and gunshot.
Malatji said she became scared and decided to run upstairs to see if there was someone who was calling for help. The state was also expected to call the investigating officer to give testimony after the lunch adjournment.
TMG Digital/Sowetan