The Johannesburg High Court has found Nuthuko Shoba guilty for orchestrating the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule. Judge Stwart Wilson began handing down judgement stating that Tshegofatso Pule died from a gunshot wound to the chest. She also died from being hung from a tree.
The judge stated that the evidence given by Muzikayise Maluphane, the man who actually killed Pule, was patchy at times in the beginning, but his evidence helped in resolving the case. The series of calls between Shoba and Maluphane between May 2020 and June are proof that the murder of Tshegofatso was being planned.
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On the first count the judge found Shoba guilty on premeditated murder and not guilty on count two for obstruction of justice. Judge Wison stated that Maluphane had no reason to kill Tshegofatso Pule. The CCTV footage showed that Shoba and Pule first went out and the car was not there. Ntuthuko and Tshegofatso went back inside the house and that is where Shoba called Maluphane to fetch Pule. Shoba will remain in custody until 10 May when he attends court for sentencing.
Tumisang Katake, the uncle of Tshegofatso Pule, said, “It’s a difficult period to process. The guilty verdict is what we expected. We are happy that Shoba has been found guilty to have been involved in the murder. From the moment when Mr. Maluphane was seen on social media, Shoba could have told the police that he had seen the killer. Where Tshegfasto was killed is not where she was found. We hoped for nothing less than a life sentence. Nothing can bring Pule back. Shoba will still have the benefit of getting visits from his family.”
Source: Eyewitness News, Talk702, image from Eyewitness News
