Court rules confessions admissible in Sebati murder trial

The ruling concluded the trial-within-a-trial that was prompted by all three accused claiming they had been coerced to make the confessions in December last year when they were arrested.  

Onthatile Sebati is accused of soliciting the help of cousins Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone to kill her policeman father Lucky Sebati, his wife Matshepo, and their two children Tshegofatso – who was pregnant at the time – and Quinton in December 2016.  

The trio were arrested after Sebati allegedly confessed to the investigating officer on the case, colonel Isaac Tlhapi. 

Tlhapi died earlier this year after he was involved in a car accident.  

At the beginning trial, the accused pleaded not guilty, indicating they intended to challenge the admissibility of their statements, with Kagiso Mokone claiming he had been assaulted and forced to confess. 

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Lumka Mahanjana confirmed that, following the ruling, the trial will resume at the end of next month. 

“All the three accused in the matter, through their legal representatives told the court that they were never read their rights during the arrest, therefore the state had to have a trial within the trial. However, the judge ruled that their statements were admissible. The trial will then continue from the 28th of November 2022.”  

Tumelo and Kagiso Mokone are out on R10,000 bail, which was granted to all three by the Brits Magistrates Court in January. Sebati remains in custody after she failed to raise the money.

During bail proceedings, Tlhapi told the lower court that police had obtained proof that an amount of R100,000 had been paid to the alleged hitmen by Sebati.  

The trio face charges which include murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. 

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