The trial of Livhuwani Madadzhe, popularly known as SABC Livhu, is set to resume on Friday morning in the Thohoyandou High Court, sitting in Waterval, where the accused is expected to take the stand.
Madadzhe is anticipated to testify that the bruises found on the body of his late wife, Lindelani Nengovhela, were sustained when emergency services removed her from a pit toilet. His lawyer, Adv Ntsako Hlongwane, told the court that the accused would claim Nengovhela had fallen into the pit while intoxicated. A postmortem report revealed an alcohol level of 0.27% in her system.
Forensic pathologist Dr Arnold Mamashela, who returned to the witness stand on Tuesday, testified that Nengovhela had had bruises on her face, inside her mouth, and on her back. He had also observed organ congestion, which he said was consistent with smothering — indicating her breathing may have been obstructed prior to death.
Dr Mamashela ruled out drowning as the cause of death, noting that no water was found in her lungs. He also dismissed alcohol poisoning, stating that while she had consumed alcohol, the level was not fatal. He said smothering could be the cause of death.
On Tuesday, 29 April, Nthambeleni Randitsheni, owner of NRand Funerals, also took the stand. The court sought clarity on whether Madadzhe had contacted Randitsheni before alerting the police. Randitsheni testified that on 28 April, he had noticed several missed calls from Madadzhe. When he returned the call, a police officer answered and informed him of an active case.
He confirmed that Madadzhe had a funeral policy with his company but said he was unsure whether the deceased was covered under it. He also denied ever telling a police officer he was on his way to collect the body.
Following Tuesday's proceedings, a visibly emotional Madadzhe appeared in a Facebook Live interview with Vhembe Concerned Group chairperson Richard Musikitedzi Mukhaninga.
"I can't lie and say everything is fine. There's no person who doesn't feel pain – what differs is how you handle it," he said. "The court is not a place of play where you say, 'I am enjoying court.' It's very hard. As you saw today, I even had a running stomach – not because I ate rotten food, but because this place is not a playground."
He added: "By faith, I believe God allowed me to be in this position to experience this."
Madadzhe also defended his decision to appoint two lawyers. "I didn't add them to flex but because it's important to have other ears listening to every important detail."
Adv Hlongwane said the defence remained optimistic. "In every case, the lawyer is hopeful he will take his client home. We are still saying it with confidence – we will take this man home."
He urged the public to keep an open mind. "People must listen to both sides of the story to understand what happened on the night of the murder."