Tears of disappointment flowed at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Friday when a magistrate ruled that a cellphone audio recording, in which Shakoor Roberts allegedly admitted that he killed his mother, was “irrelevant”.
On Friday, Magistrate Mary Jacuw said the recording, which had been made in 2017, could not be used as evidence because it was not clear enough and contained too many voices.
The body of Gafsa Roberts, 61, was discovered in March 2015, hidden inside a dirt bin.
VICTIM: Gafsa Roberts, 61, was murdered
Prosecutors are set to prove Roberts throttled his mother to death.
The cellphone recording was played in court last week.
A neighbour of Gafsa, Faieza Adams: “I am disappointed that the judge has failed us today.”
Gafsa’s daughter, Rushana Adams, broke down outside of court: “We are devastated, we are hurting, we are crying because the justice system is failing my mother, how can they say that this recording is not relevant?”
“He admits it and even gives the date of 28 February, and says he killed Gafsa.”
“He even asked her to pray the kalimah (declaration of faith).
“The translator messed up this case because of how she translated it and she did not understand coloured slang.”
ACCUSED: Alleged killer Shakoor Roberts
In the recording, Roberts can be heard saying: “I sat with two different minds and I said, I can nogal kill you.”
“I can kill you, but for the right reason.
“I believe in Islam and your soul cannot rest if something is not right. Otherwise it will dwaal in dunya the whole time.”
“ Ek sê ‘Gafsa, glo jy in Allah?’ En sy sê, ‘ek glo in Allah’ en jy’t gesê ek moet jou vrek maak om ‘n example te maak.”
“ Ek sê vir haar, ‘batcha die Kalima Shahada, ek batchma myne dan maak ek jou vrek.”
“ Ek het vir haar gesê, Gafsa is maniengal, sy is rerig dood by die huis, dit is nie ‘n joke nie.
“ Gafsa is Vrydag dood en die Saterdag, soek almal vir Gafsa.”
The matter continues on 3 April.