Fatal stabbing of Durban woman by her ex relived during murder trial

The harrowing final moments of Nomfundo Msibi’s life on the afternoon of August 4 last year in the parking lot of Gateway shopping centre played out in the Durban high court on Tuesday.

The video footage was screened by senior prosecutor Krishen Shah during the murder trial of Msibi’s ex-lover and father of her two children, Sphamandla Khumalo, 34.

Khumalo and another man fled the taxi rank after Msibi, 30, was stabbed to death and lay lifeless in a pool of blood on the ground. An okapi knife was found lodged in her body.

The footage shows two women with children walking from the taxi rank in one section of the parking lot to the mall. They are confronted with Khumalo and Msibi, who are quarrelling. This makes them run back to the rank.

The couple moves in the same direction and Khumalo is then seen repeatedly stabbing Msibi. She falls to the ground and Khumalo bends down and continues to stab her in her upper body and attempts to slit her throat. He then stands up and straddles her while continuing with the attack.

A man believed to be a security guard arrives, followed by taxi operators and shocked onlookers.

Earlier, Msibi’s boyfriend Mthobisi Gasela told high court judge Jacqueline Henriques he started dating Msibi in May last year after her split with Khumalo.

Under cross-examination from legal aid attorney Phumelele Daniso, he said Msibi told him about physical abuse she endured at the hands of Khumalo during their relationship. She didn’t lay any assault charges because of her work commitments.

Gasela said Msibi had three children. The two youngest ones were fathered by Khumalo, who is originally from Nongoma but lived at an informal settlement near the mall.

He disputed Khumalo’s claim he was still seeing Msibi in August.

“Msibi was often with me in August because she feared being around Khumalo in KwaMashu,” said Gasela.

He said after the stabbing he was terrified because Khumalo threatened his life. Gasela ran to a police officer to report the incident.

“I was scared because he had threatened me. When I got closer to Msibi's body I found they [security officers] had grabbed him [Khumalo] and pinned him down.”

Khumalo was arrested and handcuffed at the scene.

The state is alleging the murder was premeditated.

According to the indictment, Msibi ended her relationship with Khumalo prior to August and limited her communication with him as she was in another relationship (with Gasela).

On August 4 Msibi was contacted by Khumalo’s brother to meet him at Truworths Gateway so they could finalise a lay-bye garment for her child. Msibi agreed to the meeting her and asked Gasela to accompany her as she was scared of Khumalo. They went to Gateway together but split up and Msibi met Khumalo and his brother at Truworths.

Postmortem findings showed Msibi died from stab wounds to her neck and arms.  Investigating officer Det-Const Boitumelo Phama from Durban North police station likened the attack to the “slaughtering of an animal”.

She said Khumalo’s brother was arrested but later released as he was not party to the crime.

Khumalo refused to give a statement, she added.  

The trial was adjourned to Wednesday for closing arguments.

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