Image: Inside Politic
Tshegofatso Pule received threats at least two months before she was assassinated, the Johannesburg High Court heard.
Ntuthuko Shoba, thought to be Pule’s boyfriend, is currently standing trial for her death.
Pule, who was severely pregnant at the time, was discovered tied to a tree and murdered in June 2020 in Durban Deep.
Muzikayise Malephane admitted to her murder and is currently serving a 20-year term.
He is due to appear in court to testify against Shoba.
Shoba sat in the dock on the first day of his trial, holding a notebook and a pen.
He sat forward slightly at intervals, raising his hand for an opportunity to talk with his counsel.
The first witness was Pule’s friend, Tshepiso Tsita, who testified that Pule received SMS messages from a woman instructing her to “leave her man” in April or May.
“She was receiving threats that Tshegofatso should leave her partner and that she would come to her office and deal with her, and she stated that she was HIV positive and that Tshegofatso should seek testing.”
Pule then received a dubious invitation for a cosmetics artist job interview, she stated.
“I expressed to her my surprise that an interview was being conducted at a McDonald’s under lockdown, with no sit-ins permitted.”
Tsita stated that Pule did not attend the interview despite her commitment since she had a strange feeling about it.