Day 7 of Flabba trial: Accused Manqele takes the stand
KENSINGTON B – Sindiswe Manqele testifies to her recollection of the sequence of events.
Sindisiwe Manqele, girlfriend of Nkululeko ‘Flabba’ Habedi, who is accused of his murder, testified on 16 September to her recollection of the night leading up to his death .
Manqele had been dating Flabba sporadically since 2006.
On the seventh day of the trial, she claimed the group was invited to the Sands for Shugasmakx party, where she admitted to drinking but not to smoking marijuana.
Manqele said Flabba had smoked that evening with two other people.
“A lady came to talk to the deceased but I was not paying any attention, so it did not bother me.”
Manqele explained how two men had approached her and Masego Tsele at the end of the evening.
“They were paying us compliments and I said thanks,” said Manqele.
According to her, Flabba did not ask to leave in a friendly way and in Zulu he said, “This guy is crazy expecting me to wait while he talks to my girlfriend.”
This is where Manqele suggested that the argument began.
He apparently grabbed her by the wrist and she said, “Who the f*/k do you think you are?”
The altercation continued into the parking lot and to the streets outside of the club where they waited for Nkululeko to fetch the car they came in.
Manqele said, “He said I was fishing for men and called me a gold digger. I replied I’m not a gold digger because then I wouldn’t be with you as there is no gold to dig.”
Manqele explained how she tried to use her cellphone to call her regular taxi driver and how Flabba had snatched it away.
“He wouldn’t let me go and said I’m not going back to Kempton Park where my father stays.”
She added Flabba assumed she was using the taxi as a decoy to return to the club.
Manqele contradicted herself by saying, “I was going for him, I mean going for the cellphone.” Eventually, according to Manqele, he gave her phone back on the premise that she returns to the car.
Judge Sithole said, “Why did you retract your statement?”
Defence attorney Norman Makhubela submitted screenshots of the phone calls Manqele had made while still in the car to her two cousins.
The Flabba trial will continue at 10am on 16 Septmber.
Follow @randburg_sun or @AshtynMackenzie for live updates on the trial.
