A man described to the court in Pietermartizburg how he used Facebook to track down and lure a man who, he claims, had killed his mother 10 years ago. In June, he met up with him and stabbed him to death. He pleaded guilty to killing the man (67) and raping his sister (64).

The man, whose name is being withheld, appeared at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. He is facing five counts — one of murder, two counts of rape, and two counts of armed robbery.

Pleads guilty to murder and rape

In court, the man pleaded guilty to murder and one count of rape and denied the other charges against him.

In a plea statement, read out by advocate Amanda Hulley, the man gave a detailed explanation of what had happened and said the murder was committed to avenge his late mother’s murder.

The man told the court that he lives in Cape Town with his sister. He grew up in King William’s Town (Qonce) in the Eastern Cape where he knew the man he admitted to killing.

He said the man had been involved in a relationship with his late mother between 2009 and 2011 and that they would meet at hotels there.

“I met the deceased twice. The second occasion was in the year 2011 when he gave my late mother and me a lift home. Whilst travelling, he stopped his motor vehicle in a forest as [he was] arguing with my mother.

“He got out of the car and had a rope in his hand, and a gun tucked in the side of his pants.

“He pulled my mother out of the vehicle and began strangling her with the rope. I was afraid and managed to get out of his vehicle. I hiked and when I got home, I informed my family of what had just happened. My family found my mother dead in the forest.”

Man explains how he planned his revenge

Last year while browsing for friends on Facebook, he came across the same man’s profile. He said he decided to create a fake profile.

“I wanted to get revenge for what he did to my mother. I created a fake profile with the name Rihana and pretended to be a white female. I invited him as a friend on Facebook and we would message each other.”

He said whilst pretending to be Rihana, he told his target that he was living in Pietermaritzburg and agreed to meet him. The man said he travelled to Pietermaritzburg and lived with a friend in Richmond.

According to the man he messaged the deceased on Facebook and asked to meet him at a Shell Garage in Prestbury, Pietermartizburg on June 2.

On the day of the meet-up, the man said he went to Prestbury and waited at the bus stop near the filling station. He stood at a distance from the garage so that he could see his target when he arrives.

“I wanted to be certain that he was the right person. At 10:00, he arrived at the garage on foot and left after a short while. I recognised him and followed him. He walked a short distance and entered a shop.” (The shop is known to The Witness).

The man said he stood in the passage near the entrance and his victim came and asked if he needed something. He told him that he was waiting for a friend to fetch him and asked him for a glass of water. He then followed him upstairs and decided to close the shop door.

The man gave him water and he then asked him if he remembered him.

“I told him that I am the son of a woman he killed in King William’s Town. He was shocked and tried taking out pepper spray from his pocket.

“I grabbed him, and we struggled until I managed to drop him to the floor. I pulled out my knife and stabbed him repeatedly in his neck and chest area until he was still.”

Initially, it was alleged that the victim was stabbed 22 times.

He said he then covered the man with a blanket and dragged him to the back of a couch. He was unable to leave immediately because people were fixing a roof on the property next door and decided to leave once they were gone.

Sister discovers her brother’s body

At midday, the man said, the sister entered the shop and found her brother’s body. Before she could scream, he grabbed her and covered her mouth and threatened her..

The man said he then took her to the bedroom upstairs and tied her hands and legs to the bed.

“She told me that she was his sister. I told her that her brother killed my mother. She begged me not to kill her and I decided to rape her and not kill her. Her husband kept calling her on her cellular phone and I would cut the calls. He tried three times.”

He said after an hour, he heard the shop’s door opening, saw two men and decided to flee.

He said he realised that his cellphone was missing and the following day so he went to the Prestbury Police Station to open a robbery case.

Man hands himself over to the police

At the police station, he was questioned about the murder and rape. He claimed that he admitted to his involvement and was arrested and charged.

The man told the court that he is sorry for his actions and regrets what he has done.

The state prosecutor, senior advocate Candy Kander, called the woman to testify about what transpired. The session was held in camera because of the nature of the offence, and because the woman was still traumatised.