My wife's affair with her ex-boyfriend hurt me, says man accused of faking his death

A Soshanguve man accused of faking his death after allegedly killing his wife's ex-boyfriend and burning his body says the two were having an affair and finding out had hurt him and made him feel like a failure.

Sibusiso Mahlangu has told the court when he found out that his wife Lerato was cheating on him with her ex-boyfriend Sibusiso Sithebe – whom she shares a child with – he packed up his bags and left the marital home.

It is believed that Mahlangu found out about the affair on the day that Sithebe was murdered.

Mahlangu and Lerato allegedly killed Sithebe at their marital home in Soshanguve in January 2022 and burnt the body.

Lerato allegedly passed off Sithebe’s body as her husband’s, buried it and received an insurance payout. It is alleged she got half a million from a life cover policy. The two are currently on trial for murder.

On Tuesday, Mahlangu took the witness box. He told the court that the day believed to be one on which Sithebe died is the day he learnt about Lerato cheating on him.

Mahlangu said he learnt of the affair as they were preparing to go and have New Year's Day lunch at his mother's place.

“We were preparing to go to my mother's house for New Year's Day lunch with my wife and two kids.

On the day, I wasn't happy because [in the morning] me and my wife had a fall out because I learnt that my wife was cheating and I had have been suspecting it but she kept on denying it,” he said.

Honestly I was hurt learning about the affair. It felt like I had failed as a man, I failed to protect my family and I have failed to do what I promised my uncle in protecting my family,Sibusiso Mahlangu

Mahlangu said during lunch, he sat next to his older sister because he could not sit next to Lerato after finding out about the affair.

“Normally I sit next to my wife but that day I was not OK with my wife,” he said.

He said that after lunch they left his mother's place because Lerato had to go to Mpumalanga.

On their way to the taxi rank where Lerato was supposed to catch a taxi to Mpumalanga, she kept on trying to make him understand why she was cheating, Mahlangu said.

He said after dropping her off he took the car to a mechanic and left it there because it  needed to be fixed. From there he then went to their marital home, took a few clothes, and went to Silverton at a friend's place as he needed to think, Mahlangu said.

“Honestly I was hurt learning about the affair. It felt like I had failed as a man, I failed to protect my family and I have failed to do what I promised my uncle in protecting my family,” he said.

Mahlangu said that when he got to Silverton, he changed his sim card because he did not want to be bothered by Lerato.

He was arrested in April 2023 in Hammanskraal, after he was found in possession of his then-girlfriend's car which was reported stolen.

Together with Lerato they were then charged with Sithebe's murder.

moloih@sowetan.co.za

SowetanLIVE