Actor Sibusiso Khwinana’s murder trial kicks off

The trial of the man accused of murdering Matwetwe actor Sibusiso Khwinana will kick off today after the matter was postponed yesterday, to find a suitable Swahili translator.

Julius Lukas, 36, is facing charges of murder for allegedly stabbing to death the actor outside a cinema in Sunnyside, Pretoria last year, while robbing him of his cellphone.

The High Court in Pretoria yesterday heard they could only proceed with the trial today as a suitable translator was required because the accused spoke a different dialect of the language.

Judge Papi Mosopa apologised to the Khwinana family, as well as the 10 witnesses, for the delay, stating it would be inappropriate to try the suspect in a language he did not understand.

Khwinana, who starred in a leading role in the local film Matwetwe, tragically lost his life outside the Sterland cinema in March last year.

After promoting the film at the cinema on a Friday night, Khwinana, along with his co-star and friend Tebatso Mashishi, were accosted by unknown men who demanded the actor’s cellphone. While fighting over his phone, the accused allegedly stabbed Khwinana to death.

His co-star, Mashishi, was one of the 10 witnesses expected to give testimony at the trial.

Khwinana’s father, Nelson, said his family accepted the postponement to today. He said they were still trying to come to terms with the loss of their son.

“We are trying to cope. But the person I am consoling the most is Tebatso [Mashishi]. He is not coping.

“These boys were always together and this pained him so much because he carried Sibusiso while they waited for paramedics. His shoes were covered in Sibusiso’s blood. Two weeks later, he lost his mother. I have been trying to console him since,” Khwinana said.

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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