Sabelo Tshaka (35) from Mount Pleasant location in Elliotdale briefly appeared before the Elliotdale Magistrate’s Court in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Zoleka Funeko (34), last month.
He abandoned his bail application and his other girlfriend, Thobeka Sawulisi (38), was granted bail of R1 000. Their case was postponed until August 16 for further investigation.
According to the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Luxolo Tyhali, Tshaka appeared alongside Sawulisi, who is charged with defeating the ends of justice.
During their first appearance, Tshaka elected to conduct his own defence, while Sawulisi requested the services of Legal Aid South Africa.
He said the deceased was last seen on June 13, 2021, when she left her home in Elliotdale to travel to Mthatha, where she was working.
Tyhali said her family reported her missing after three days, when her employer enquired about her whereabouts.
“When relatives and investigators called on her cellphone, a woman answered and claimed to be Funeko. She told callers that she was on holiday in Gauteng and did not want to be disturbed,” said Tyhali.
He said police investigations led to Tshaka, the deceased’s boyfriend and father of her child.
He took them to an open field at his home village, Gusi. Tyhali said a skull, bones and other belongings, believed to be Funeko’s, were found scattered around the area. “It is alleged that the woman who answered the deceased’s cellphone was Sawulisi, who is the mother of Tshaka’s two children,” Tyhali said.
