Makhanda paramedic’s murder trial resumes after delay due to illness

By Aphiwe Ngowapi

The murder trial of Makhanda paramedic Nomsa Seyisi in the Makhanda High Court had to be adjourned yesterday morning after she complained of an illness.

Seyisi was taken to Settlers Hospital for examination but was declared fit to proceed with the case in the afternoon. She, however, indicated she was still experiencing pain and the case was postponed to today.

She is expected to return to court this morning.

Seyisi, 48, a GuardMed paramedic, is charged with murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. According to the indictment, on 25 August 2023, she, acting in the furtherance of a common purpose or conspiracy, killed Thembinkosi Wambi, 41.

Seyisi also allegedly attempted to kill her cousin, Zukiswa Frans.

The state alleges that a month before the shooting incident, Seyisi had assisted in the arrangements for her work colleague to take out an insurance policy on the life of Frans, without her knowledge.

In court on Monday, a Sanlam sales consultant, Nandi Cetu, testified about Seyisi’s involvement in funeral policy applications, which included an attempt by Seyisi’s colleague, Buntu Melani, to insure Frans. Melani later tried to cancel the policy, citing financial difficulties, said Cetu.

Seyisi’s supervisor at GuardMed, also testified. He confirmed that Seyisi and Melani worked together at GuardMed and noted that Seyisi appeared to be in good health on 25 and 26 August, 2023.

Frans survived the alleged attempt on her life after reportedly acting deceased.

She is a state witness in the case and she concluded her testimony this week.

Grocott’s Mail reported last week that Frans recalled that she was at her family home when she received a phone call from Seyisi, the relative she considered to be her sister, considering Seyisi is her uncle’s daughter and they were brought up together, asking her to accompany her to a sangoma named Black Cat.

Frans said she had no reason to be suspicious of the call as Seyisi had called her in an earlier instance to alert her of food parcels that were going to be distributed by the department of social development as part of their programme to support indigent families and Seyisi didn’t want her to miss out.

“Nomsa came in a car with two men and Thembinkosi and myself were told to enter the car, which we did. After a short drive she asked the driver to stop the car because she needed to urinate. However after she got out she told me to step out too and I told her I am fine, and that I did not need to relieve myself, so there was no need for me to step out,” she said.

Frans said it wasn’t long thereafter when Seyisi and the two men became aggressive and forcefully removed her and Thembinkosi from the vehicle they were travelling in. She recalled how the men took the firearms that had been visible to them from when they entered the car, and started to use them to force them out and onto the ground.

“We were manhandled out of the car and told to put our hands behind our heads and to lie face down on the ground. At this moment I was very confused, trying to make sense of what was happening and why she would be doing this, but we complied. At that moment, I felt myself losing my breath as a result of short breath and I just heard gunshots.”

As the state prosecutor Advocate Jan Engelbrecht, led Frans’ testimony, he enquired on whether or not she was aware of how many shots were fired, but Frans could not recall that specific detail.

“I just heard gunshots, I wasn’t keeping count of how many shots were fired but I heard them among their voices, because shortly after, one of the men asked Nomsa to check to see if either of us were still alive. Nomsa then put her foot on our backs to shake our bodies, I assume to assess if we were alive and in that moment I lay still out of breath, but later discovered that I was merely grazed by a bullet on my hand that was behind my head as I lay face down on the ground at the time.”

Frans said when she heard them get back into the car and drive off, she gathered her strength to shuffle her body out of the open veld where they lay – cautious of being seen, but also frantically trying to get to the nearest house to get help.

“I managed to drag myself to the nearest house and that’s where I told them what had happened and they were quick to call the police who later arrived with an ambulance. However, upon arrival at the hospital, Thembinkosi died and I was instantly rushed to a hospital in Gqeberha where they operated on my left hand to remove the bullet that had grazed my head, but remained stuck on my left hand. After that operation my hand has never been the same as it has lost all of its function,” she said.

During Monday’s proceedings, defense advocate Charles Stamper cross-examined Frans, questioning the credibility of her testimony and accusing her of introducing new information not disclosed in her initial statement.

A key point of contention involved Frans’s claim that Seyisi had stepped on her back to check if she was alive. Stamper argued that as a trained paramedic, Seyisi would know how to check for signs of life without resorting to such a method, and that Seyisi denies ever doing this.

Stamper also sought to discredit Frans’s claim regarding a temporary ID. Seyisi alleges that she assisted Frans in obtaining a temporary ID and then returned it to her, while Frans maintains this is a lie.

According to Frans, Seyisi came to her house under the pretext of helping with a funeral policy application, stating, “Nomsa came to my house when I was still sick and asked for my ID because she wanted to open a funeral policy for me. I agreed and gave her my temporary ID because she is my cousin.”

Further disputes arose over the sequence of events leading up to a visit to Black Cat’s place, a traditional healer in Nkanini. Stamper challenged Frans’ account, alleging that she did not initially report being pulled out of a car by Seyisi, calling this an “after-fact fabrication.”

Frans, however, insisted that she had mentioned it from the beginning and was supported by the Judge, who quoted her original statement to validate her claim.

The defense also questioned Frans regarding the events of August 25, 2023, suggesting that Seyisi had called out to Frans from the gate and that Wambi had opened it. Frans confirmed this but emphasized that she had just woken up after taking her medication and was experiencing shortness of breath.

Additional allegations arose concerning Seyisi’s involvement with Frans’ ID.

Seyisi allegedly shared Frans’ ID number with multiple people without her consent, raising concerns for Frans’ safety after a previous incident where her family home was set on fire. Stamper informed the court he planned to call Buntu Melani to the stand to dispute Frans’ claims about the ID.

Another point of contention was the colour of the car used during the events in question. Seyisi claimed it was blue, while Frans maintained it was red.

Additionally, Stamper dismissed allegations that Seyisi had contacted Frans regarding social development food parcels, a claim Frans vehemently stood by, recounting calls from Seyisi urging them to wait for food parcels from 5pm to 8pm.

The trial continues.