Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
A year ago, a 50-year old man allegedly killed his four young children after he accused their mother of cheating on him.
On Tuesday Lucas Phasha pleaded not guilty to the murders at the Limpopo High Court. He claims that he was away from home visiting his girlfriend in another area when the murders took place.
But his nephew, Raymond Phasha, who found Phasha at his hideout a day after the horrific murders, told the court that his uncle apologised for killing the kids when he saw him.
Raymond took the stand as a witness on Tuesday.
Days before the murders, Phasha, a former lawyer, went on Facebook ranting about how his wife, Sylvia Monyela, was cheating with different men. He accused Monyela of neglecting the kids, warning that she would never see them again.
It is alleged that on the day of the murders, Phasha stopped the mini bus transporting the kids to school and said he was going to take them shopping.
The kids had moved out with their mother while the couple separated.
He allegedly took the kids to the nearest bushes in Ga-Phasha Village outside Burgersfort where he killed them.
He allegedly hacked the three kids Katlego, nine; Joyce, seven; and Tshepo, five. The youngest Adel, three, was allegedly thrashed with a rock.
Giving testimony, Raymond said that he offered to buy his uncle beer and loose cigarettes as a way to get him to agree to go home with him.
“My uncle wanted me to drive through the bushes as he was evading the police, I told him I couldn’t do that as I didn’t have enough petrol,” Raymond told the court.
He added that that’s when he managed to convince him to drive towards Polokwane in the hope that they would meet the police on the way.
After finishing a bottle of beer, Raymond says his uncle asked him to take him a video of him and he started complaining about his wife in the video.
The court adjourned and Raymond is expected to proceed with his testimony again on Wednesday.
In 2008, Phasha was arrested for the murder of a teenager whom he shot while he was firing at his then-girlfriend who he accused of cheating.
Phasha was struck off the lawyers’ roll when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years but was released on parole.
His ex wife is expected to give evidence this week.
