Murdered ouma Gafsa Roberts’ body was washed after she was strangled to death by her killer in a bid to destroy evidence.
This evidence came to light at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Wednesday as Rushana Adams, Gafsa’s eldest daughter, was being cross-examined by the lawyer of her brother, Shakoor Roberts, who stands accused of killing their mother.
Roberts is facing a charge of murder after his mother’s body was discovered in her wheelie bin, three days after she went missing from her Tafelsig home in March 2015.
Roberts has pleaded not guilty.
He had lived alone with his sickly mother.
His aunt, Gadija Stevens, 68, testified that when she phoned Gafsa on Saturday, Shakoor had answered and told her his mother had left for the weekend to visit friends in Delft, and had left the house key and her cellphone with him.
GRIM: The body of murdered mom Gafsa Roberts was found in wheelie bin
Rushana testified that she reported her mother missing on Sunday at the Mitchells Plain Police Station, after she and family members searched the Winterhoek Street house and backyard, including the wheelie bin, but found nothing.
Gafsa’s body was found in the wheelie bin the Monday morning.
On Wednesday, Shakoor’s lawyer, L. Boer, put it to Rushana that she had washed her mother’s body before a post-mortem had taken place.
But Rushana explained that she washed her mother’s body for her janaza, which took place after the post-mortem.
Boer said the post-mortem proved that Gafsa’s body had been washed shortly after her death, but prior to the autopsy.
Earlier this week, Rushana told the court that her mother’s house, including her locked bedroom, had been spic and span when they came to look for her.
TESTIFY: Gadija Stevens, 68
She said a relative found Gafsa’s cellphone on top of Shakoor’s cupboard the Wednesday after her body was found.
On Wednesday, Boer put it to Rushana that she gained from her mother’s death after the house was sold.
But Rushana said the house was sold because it was being vandalised and had no water and electricity as it was standing empty after Shakoor’s arrest.
ACCUSED: Shakoor Roberts is on trial
She said money from the sale had been placed in Gafsa’s estate and would be released once the case was done.
“What does the house have to do with the murder case?” she questioned.
Boer said by selling the house “when your brother comes home after this, he would have nowhere to go”.
Magistrate Mary Jwacu then agreed with Rushana that the house had nothing to do with the merits of the case and gave Boer a warning.
Boer then said she would bring a witness who will testify that the bin had a foul smell when he passed it on the Sunday just after 11pm.
The case continues.