Confession reveals Mahlangu read his RIPs on social media

The man accused of faking his own death after murdering his wife's ex-boyfriend watched as his friends sent him RIP messages on Facebook while he was in hiding, fearing arrest. 

This is part of what is contained in Sibusiso Mahlangu's confession that he made to Lt-Col Philemon Mokgetle in April 2023.

In the confession, Mahlangu, of Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, also detailed events that led to him killing the deceased. While Mahlangu did not say who the person he killed was, the victim is Sibusiso Sithebe, his wife's ex-boyfriend.

He said he was at the home he shares with his wife Lerato, enjoying late night drinks when a man barged inside.

“I was busy drinking, and the door was not locked since I have no fear. While sitting, I heard someone opening the door.

"I just stepped up from the sofa and looked at the person; it was a male person. I asked what he wanted, and he answered using vulgar words. We started to fight. I overpowered him and pushed him against the wall; he collapsed.

"I took the body to the bed and burnt the bed using petrol, and when the fire started, I left the house,” reads the confession.

However, evidence presented before court by neighbour Josephine Mashoene and police officer Michael Mathabathe is that the body was found on a bed that had not been burnt and was covered in a blanket that was also not burnt. 

The testimony of pathologist Rebecca Mashiyane is that Sithebe was intoxicated at the time of his murder and was burnt alive.

Mahlangu said after leaving the house he had to change places every month as he feared being arrested for the murder. "I took a taxi to Silverton [in Pretoria] and stayed with my girlfriend Precious Ubisi, and I saw on Facebook people speaking about my burial, also saying 'Rest in Peace'.

"I never responded to the messages, and I was scared that the police would arrest me for the murder, hence I kept renting at different places every month,” reads the confession.

While Mahlangu stated that he left his wife Lerato to be with his girlfriend after the killing, it was also revealed in court that Lerato was also cheating on Mahlangu.

Through her lawyer, Lerato said she was having an affair with Sithebe and that she wanted to end things because Mahlangu had become suspicious of the relationship,.

In her testimony, Lerato testified that the deceased was a taxi driver and he left home early that day telling her that  he was going to meet with someone who wanted to give him a taxi.

“It was Saturday around 5pm, I was at home with my boyfriend Sithebe and my family. We had just had a birthday party for my kid and he received a call.

"He then told me that there were people who wanted to give him a taxi so he was going to meet them,” she said.

However, the state alleged Mahlangu and his wife lured Sithebe to their home on New Year's Day in 2022 and that while he was there, the husband murdered him.

Afterwards, the state said, the couple allegedly burnt Sithebe's body and Lerato passed it off as belonging to Mahlangu, her husband, and claimed half-a-million rand in insurance payout.

The couple was arrested in April last year after Mahlangu was caught driving a suspected stolen car. It was when he was booked into custody that he allegedly told the police officers that he was registered as a dead person.

He and Lerato were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and three counts of fraud.