Soshanguve wife admits affair with her alleged victim

In another twist in the trial of murder-accused couple, Lerato and Sibusiso Mahlangu, it has emerged that Lerato was having an affair with her ex-lover, Sibusiso Sithebe, at the time of his alleged murder.

The Mahlangu’s are accused of burning Sithebe alive and using his body to claim a R500 000 insurance payout in a brazen scam.

They allegedly faked Sibusiso Mahlangu’s death and evaded authorities for over a year.

They were eventually discovered when Mahlangu was found with a stolen car in April last year, leading police to uncover that he was registered as deceased.

According to Lerato’s defense, she had been trying to end her affair with Sithebe before his death.

On the day of his death in January 2022, Lerato admitted to speaking with him on the phone several times to break off the affair, but Sithebe refused.

She claims she was not at the house where Sithebe died in a fire.

In the aftermath of the blaze, Lerato says she assumed the body was her husband’s as it was dark, and she thought he was the only one inside.

However, a police captain testified that Lerato looked directly at the deceased’s face, even crying and praying over his body, contradicting her claim.

The trial continues with the high court currently hearing arguments for the admissibility of Sibusiso Mahlangu’s written statement, which he alleges was coerced.

Details of the statement are yet to be divulged in court.

The lawyer who allegedly failed to act on Mahlangu’s complaint of coercion will be called to testify in the trial. Written by Naomi Kobbie