Durban — The mother of the man who allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend 25 times, killing her, apologised to the mother of the murdered woman outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, saying her son had confessed to her.
Murder accused Mlamuli Micheal Qaba abandoned his bail application.
“What Mlamuli did is painful, especially to me as a parent with daughters. This woman’s mother had anticipated her daughter’s return home for Christmas but instead had to bury her child,” Nombeka Qaba said on Monday outside court.
“I’m here to support the woman’s mother, I am not here to fork out money for bail because Mlamuli needs to suffer the consequences of his actions so others learn a lesson, that you don’t lay hands on a woman,” Nombeka Qaba added.
Mlamuli Micheal Qaba was arrested nearly three weeks after allegedly killing Girlie Mthembu. He had fled KwaZulu-Natal.
He appeared briefly before magistrate Sicelo Zuma and indicated he was abandoning his bail application for now.
Qaba was arrested in the Eastern Cape by Greenwood Park police midway through a ritual, where he was topless. It is said the murder weapon was with him at the house of the traditional healer.
Mthembu had a protection order against Qaba, who is alleged to have killed her in Kenville on the Day of Reconciliation, December 16. He fled to another province afterwards.
Nombeka said she lived in Lamontville but their family homestead was in the Eastern Cape. When her son fled she was in Durban, she said.
“Following the incident, his picture and Mthembu’s picture and what had happened was circulating on social media.
“A neighbour showed me and when I phoned him he admitted to me that he had done it. When I asked him exactly what happened he said that he didn’t know but he was drunk.
“I asked where he was and he told me he was in the Eastern Cape. I told him to come back to Durban and hand himself over to the police.
“He agreed but the next call I got was from my cousin back home, saying the police had come and arrested him,” she said.
Nombeka said growing up, her son was not violent, but she didn’t know whether as an adult he was now capable of something like this.
“He is an adult whom I don’t live with. He drinks now so I wouldn’t know if he is violent or not.”
Mthembu’s mother, Lindiwe Mbhele, stood at a distance as Qaba’s mother spoke to the media and apologised to the grieving mother.
“I’m not rejoicing at what my son has done, it also pains me to see him in the dock, but as a parent, I did not send him to do what he did.
“I am sorry that the woman’s mother has lost a child at his hands,” said Nombeka.
Mbhele said if Qaba at some stage changed his mind and wanted to apply for bail she hoped it would not be granted.
She said her daughter had two boy children, aged 10 and 19, the eldest set to start Grade 12 on Wednesday.
“The younger child cried this morning wanting to come to court, he said he wanted to see the person who killed his mother.
“I don’t know if I will have money to travel from Empangeni to Durban on Friday for his next court appearance.
“I am unemployed, my daughter was the breadwinner at home and lived in Durban for work. I don’t know how I will support the two children she has left behind. We are all left with the question why – why kill my child?” she said.
In court, Qaba indicated to magistrate Zuma that he was abandoning his bail application for now.
State prosecutor Sandile Xaba said he had no objection to Qaba’s indication of temporarily abandoning his bail.
He asked for the matter to be adjourned to Friday.
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