A MAN standing trial for the murder of his partner appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on August 15.

Mandla Zuma (49) is accused of killing Nonhlanhla Nhleko at their shack dwelling in Coedmore Road near Yellowwood Park in December 2024.

Zuma’s legal representative told the court that on the day of the incident, the accused and his partner had an altercation. The defence argued that the accused was acting in self defence when he struck the victim once on the head with a stick.

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“There is no evidence that the deceased died due to one hit from the accused. She could have died of heart attack,” said Zuma’s lawyer.

The defence also argued there is no evidence in the post-mortem report detailing the nature of the cause of death.

“The accused used a stick to hit her which clearly shows that he had no intention of killing her. Nobody can die of one blow,” said the defence.

At the heart of the defence’s submission was that the victim had used a broken bottle in an attempt to hit the accused. However, the accused managed to block the bottle and picked up a stick to hit her once on the head.

“He did not call the ambulance because he was still in shock. He believed his life was in danger, as he frequently fought with the deceased. The accused was not asked whether he had a cellphone on the day of the incident,” said the defence.

The matter was adjourned to allow the court to review the evidence presented by the State and defence, before the magistrate delivers a ruling. The accused is scheduled to appear in court on September 15.

Nhleko’s body was found in a shallow grave in front of their shack dwelling in Coedmore Road in January this year.

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Her body was exhumed in January after residents raised concerns about her sudden disappearance, as she had not been seen in the community for some time.

This sparked suspicion among locals. The residents allegedly pressured Zuma to reveal what had happened to his partner, and he eventually confessed to burying her in a shallow grave. Police were then called in to assist with the exhumation of Nhleko’s body.

It is alleged that Zuma buried his partner in a shallow grave a few metres outside their home at the Seaview Cemetery near Yellowwood Park in December last year.

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