Woman named attacker before dying

Pietermaritzburg – A woman who was hit with a knobkierrie, doused in petrol, set on fire and robbed of her cellphone in the Estcourt area last year, had identified her attacker to people who came to her aid, the High Court heard on Monday.Sicelo Xaba, 34, of Moyeni, Loskop, is on trial before Judge Thoba Poyo-Dlwati and an assessor, for the murder and robbery of Goodness Mametsi Khanyile on February 22 last year.The State’s indictment says Khanyile, who sustained serious head and burn wounds, died in hospital a day after she was attacked.

Purity Sithole, a neighbour, told the court her nephew came to call her on the night of the incident.

“He asked for an ambulance … He said there is a female who was set on fire.”

She told him the number to call for the ambulance and went to investigate.

Sithole said she found Khanyile sitting at the side of the road, crying and with her hands raised. “She said ‘I am burning’. She asked me to help her with water to drink,” she said.

The woman told her she had been assaulted by a Sicelo Xaba, who hit her on the head and leg with a knobkierrie. “He then poured petrol on her and set her alight,” he said.

The motive for the attack was robbery, as Khanyile’s cellphone was stolen, the court was told.

Sithole said she accompanied the injured woman to hospital in the ambulance. En route, Khanyile was still conscious and repeated to paramedics what had happened and the name of her alleged attacker.

The State says that Khanyile and her boyfriend, Mbuso Ngubane, had been walking together when they were accosted by two men, one of them Xaba. One struck Ngubane with a knobkierrie and he then fled.

The other (allegedly Xaba) attacked Khanyile, first hitting her with the stick and then pouring petrol on and setting her alight.

The case is proceeding.