Tears as Manqele is questioned about knife

16 September 2015 - 16:28 By Nomahlubi Jordaan

Sindisiwe Manqele broke down in tears as the court questioned her evidence about the whereabouts of the knife that caused the fatal wound to her rapper boyfriend Nkululeko "Flabba" Habedi. Manqele‚ 26‚ is on trial in the Johannesburg High Court sitting at the Randburg Magistrate's Court for the murder of 37-year-old Habedi.Habedi died of a stab wound to the chest on March 9 in his Alexandra home.Manqele has pleaded not guilty to the charge and has said she stabbed him in self-defence.Manqele told the court on Wednesday that she and Habedi continued to argue in his bedroom after she had unlocked the door and let him in.She said she opened the door after she heard someone fidgeting with it.She said when she opened the door‚ Habedi pushed it forcefully and she fell on her floor on her buttocks.Habedi had a knife in his hand‚ she said."He said I had disrespected him that night... I was ignoring him. He was gesturing with his hands‚" Manqele said.She said Habedi was pacing up and down‚ shouting and making the hand gestures.Judge Solly Sithole interjected and told her that Habedi could not have been carrying a knife in his hand if he was gesturing with his hands.Manqele started crying and her counsel‚ advocate Norman Makhubela‚ said she was still getting to where the knife was.Makhubela then asked Manqele where the knife was at the time. She said: "The knife was in his (Habedi's) hand."The court took a short adjournment to allow the weeping Manqele to compose herself.The trial continues...

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