Murder accused confessed voluntarily, says investigating officer  

Springs – Sbongile Dlamini will spend another weekend in custody as her bail hearing will be finalised on March 10 in the Springs Magistrate’s Court.

Dlamini (43) stands accused of being the mastermind of her husband’s murder.
Banele Skosana (33), an EMPD officer, was gunned down on February 10 at a tuck shop he co-owned with Dlamini.
Today (March 4) the court heard from the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Sydney Nkonyane, who refuted Dlamini’s claim that she was she violently coerced to confess to the murder.
In a written affidavit, Nkonyane explained that Dlamini was apprehended, questioned and confessed willingly.
Previously, in a written affidavit, read by her attorney, Dlamini told the court that she was tortured for hours on February 14.
The court heard how, after she was apprehended by officers, she was taken to EMPD offices in Kwa-Thema.
There, she claims that she was in a room with a few officers, who kept insisting that she tell the truth about her involvement in her husband’s murder.
“I told them that I was innocent,” the affidavit read.
Dlamini claims the officers grew frustrated.
After repeatedly hitting and suffocating her, Dlamini claims she confessed, hoping that they would stop hurting her.
Dlamini also admitted that she knew her co-defendant, but not as Nhliziyozabantu Magwanyana.
She claims that she and the deceased met Magwanyana when they were interested in buying a display fridge from him.
She admitted to speaking to him on the phone a few times.
Dlamini said that the last time she spoke to Magwanyana was on the morning of Skosana’s murder.
She said that Magwanyana said that he would deliver the fridge on that day.
The court also heard how Magwanyana, who has abandoned his bail application, claimed he was also tortured.
He was located at Kwa-Thema Hostel by officers on February 10.
Magwanyana accused the officers of hitting him until he told them that he had shot Skosana.
In his confession, he also claimed that Dlamini paid him to shoot her husband.
Dlamini was arrested on February 14, following the arrest of Magwanyana on February 10.
In her application, Dlamini stated she has a 15-year-old child with special needs.
She said she needs to be at home to take care of her child because the child’ grandmother would not cope on her own.
Dlamini claimed that the child’s condition is the reason she left her job as a teacher.
In response, the state did its own investigation and found that the child has lived with his maternal grandparents, who take care of him.
The state added that when Dlamini was living with Skosana, the child remained with his grandparents.
The state also pointed out that Skosana was admitted to hospital two weeks before he was gunned down.
While in hospital, he was treated for food poisoning.
The state claims that when Skosana was discharged from hospital, he kicked Dlamini out of their home.
In response, Dlamini’s defence questioned why Skosana did not file a complaint with the police at the time, if he believed that Dlamini intentionally poisoned him.
The matter has been postponed for March 10.