BREAKING NEWS – Rameez Patel: court hears about alleged affair

The case of murder in which Rameez Patel stands trial for the alleged killing of his wife, Fatima in 2015 will resume in the Limpopo High Court on 7 November.
This afternoon (Thursday) the case was postponed after Judge Joseph Raulinga allowed two more statements of Rameez Patel’s former domestic worker and a general worker in his employ to be read before court earlier today.
The state also called Abdul Nazim, the ex-husband of Nesreen Mayet, to testify on an alleged affair Rameez had with Nazim’s ex-wife in 2014.
In his additional statement the general worker said he was outside Fatima’s house a few hours before her death on 10 April 2015, when she asked him for empty boxes. Rameez arrived home soon thereafter. He heard Patel and Fatima arguing and recalled Fatima saying: “Tell me the truth. Why are you lying?”
Four days after Fatima’s burial, the general worker asked Rameez’s brother, Razeen, why she needed boxes and he replied that she wanted to pack her belongings and leave, the court heard.
One of the investigating officers, Mohammed Wahab who took the statements and who read it before court was asked by state prosecutor Mashudu Mudau if he investigated the motive behind the killing of Fatima. To this Wahab responded by testifying about regular visits of Rameez on 8 April and 3 and 4 May 2015 respectively to Mayet’s home rented by Nazim in Bendor Village. Evidence regarding this matter was disputed by defence attorney Tumi Mokwena, who indicated that Rameez was still in custody during the said dates and was only released on bail on 2 June that year.
Reference was also made to the alleged murder weapon, a cricket bat which was found in the ceiling of the couple’s home and that Rameez handed over the first set of clothes he wore on the day of the killing.
Mokwena questioned why the additional statements by the two former workers were taken after they were no longer employed by the Patels. Wahab said that the two witnesses indicated it was much easier to open up since they were no longer employees of the Patel family.
When Nazim took to the witness stand this afternoon he indicated that he saw Rameez and Nesreen together on a regular basis at local malls, at school and even the gym. He became aware of the affair in August 2014 and that he and his then wife divorced in January 2015, he testified.
He said that he, Nesreen, Fatima and Rameez had a meeting at Savannah Mall in October 2014 to discuss the affair and for a plea by him and Fatima for them to stop seeing each other. Nazim also testified that Nesreen asked him on 2 September 2014 for a separation, the same day that Rameez asked Fatima to separate. He indicated that he also saw the two together after the separation and before Fatima’s death. He testified that Rameez and Nesreen also stayed together in a house in Cycad Estate for a while.
Both the state and defence are expected to call more witnesses when the case resumes.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com