Murder accused Shakoor Roberts asked his mother Gafsa to say a prayer for him before he allegedly took her life five years ago.
This shocking evidence was heard when Roberts’ cousin, Jamia Daniels, resumed her testimony on the witness stand at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Tuesday.
Roberts is facing a charge of murder after his mother, 61, was throttled to death inside her home in Winterhoek Street in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, in February 2015.
Gafsa’s body was found hidden in a wheelie bin at her home in March 2015.
GONE: Gafsa Roberts killed. File photo
On Tuesday, Jamia explained that she had made a cellphone audio recording of an alleged confession made by Roberts to her and two other relatives at his home in August 2017.
This came to light after State prosecutor Darren Johnson claimed the recording was inadmissible because it only spoke about American rapper Nicki Minaj.
Magistrate Mary Jacwu noted that Johnson could not question Jamia about the
confession and carried out her own cross-examination.
She asked Jamia how she had managed to make the recording.
Jamia said Roberts had not pitched for his court appearance in August 2017 and that he had been subpoenaed.
She and two other relatives informed the detective that they would be visiting Roberts at his home to find out why he had not been to court.
She said Roberts then verbally confessed directly to her and that it was not hearsay.
“When we got there, he showed us the subpoena and said that it said murder on it, but that it was invalid because how can it say that when he is not inside prison,” she explained.
“He closed the door behind us and asked us to make a recording, which we must show the family, (of) what he did to his mother.
“My cousin Fouzia said her
battery was going to die.
“It was only when we left that house that day that she told me she had started recording him from the time we entered the house.
“He then asked me to record him and I took out my cellphone.”
EK OF JY: Accused Shakoor Roberts
Jamia says Roberts explained how he had harassed his mom that evening and told her to say a prayer known as Kalima (Islamic declaration of faith) before she died and that he was going to kill her.
“He said he told her to say a prayer and he asked her to
prepare for a small death.
“In Afrikaans he said, ‘ Gafsa,
of jy gaan vrek of ek.
“ Ek het haar dood gemaak die Vrydag en ek het dit gedoen en dit was kla.
“He made her cry that night and he made her beg him to kill her.”
Jacwu then asked about Roberts’ frame of mind.
To which Jamia said “sober”, and that he been inside a mental hospital a year before making the alleged confession.
Roberts, who was deemed fit to stand trial, showed no emotion.
Meanwhile, mense, including
Western Cape Missing Persons Unit director Candice van der Rheede, gathered outside in
support of Gafsa’s family.