The Paarl man accused of killing his girlfriend before dismembering her body and burning it in a wheelie bin has apparently admitted to a magistrate that he is guilty.
Sithobele Qebe, 30, is accused of murdering his girlfriend Siphokazi Booi, 27, on Saturday during a drunken brawl and made his first appearance in court yesterday.
Her friends had last seen the couple around 2am that morning and on Sunday her body was found burnt beyond recognition in a dumping area just metres away from his White City home in Mbekweni.
The angry community set Qebe’s car and shack alight.
The accused will face two charges of murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after he allegedly also beat Siphokazi up two weeks ago.
The victim’s aunt Nontando Booi, 41, said that Qebe confessed to the murder.
“They wanted to know if he was aware why he was in court and if he did the crime, and he said yes, he knows that he killed her,” she said.
“I am happy that he said it in front of the magistrate. I hope that he doesn’t get bail.
“He stood in the dock shaking and kept looking at us in the gallery like he was scanning to see if his family was present.”
The aunt says the couple broke up for a few days after the assault.
“When she went back to him, I asked her why but she didn’t give me a reason. I wish I stopped her to avoid this,” says Nontando.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says the case was remanded until 13 September 2021 for further investigation.
“The State is going to combine the two cases and will oppose the accused's bail application,” he says.