Times Of Swaziland: Pitseng's family emotional after lesbian lover's acquittal

Pitseng's family emotional after lesbian lover's acquittal
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 SISHO MAGAGULA on 17/12/2011 00:00:00


BIG BEND - The distraught family of the deceased self-confessed lesbian, Pitseng
Vilakati is still trying to come to terms with the acquittal of Thuli
‘Thulani’ Rudd who was charged for her murder.
Rudd was acquitted and discharged by Principal Judge of the High Court, Justice
Stanley Maphalala on Thursday.
She was arrested and charged in late December 2009 for the murder of her lover
Pitseng.
This was a few months after the two had publicly engaged in a ceremony held in
Manzini. Pitseng’s body was found in an advanced state of decomposition at a
cemetery in Ngwane Park, Manzini. Rudd was later arrested at the Ngwenya Border
Post upon return from a trip to South Africa.
Yesterday, Swazi News traced Pitseng’s family and located them in Big Bend, at
the Illovo staff houses.
It was discovered that the family was still not aware that Thuli Rudd, the only
suspect in the murder of their daughter Pitseng, had been acquitted.
Pitseng’s elder brother, Sicelo Vilakati, upon being told that the murder
accused had been acquitted and discharged by the High Court, first expressed
surprise and said such was news to him.
He said the family had not been made aware of the acquittal, despite that the
story was all over yesterday’s newspapers.
He said his family would not be in a position to comment in detail on the
acquittal.
"As a family, we were not even aware that the person accused of murdering my
sister had been acquitted until you told us. We just need time to come to terms
with the latest developments before we can make detailed comments. Our family
has never been the same since the incident back in 2009. Even today, my mother
is still battling to accept what happened back in 2009," said Sicelo in a somber
tone.
He asked the press to give the family some time to grasp and come to terms with
the recent developments before providing detailed comments on the issue.
Sicelo further requested that his mother not be contacted for comment "because
she is still grieving. I would like to humbly advise you not to approach my
mother about this because she might not take kindly to it. This is a very
sensitive matter to her and kungenteka anitsatse kabi when you call about it,"
he said.
He stated that no family member attended court on Thursday when the High Court
freed Thuli. He said during the preliminary stages of the case, he used to
attend court sessions and followed the matter with keen interest.
Such interest fell by the sidelines as the matter dragged longer.
When Norah Vilakati (nee Matsenjwa), Pitseng’s mother was called, she became
emotional and refused to discuss the matter before slamming the phone down.
She is employed at the Main Office of Ubombo Sugar, otherwise known as Illovo in
Big Bend.
Thuli Rudd’s mom insults journalists
MANZINI- Journalists from Swazi News received more than what they bargained for
yesterday when they were given a heavy tongue-lashing and hurled with all sorts
of insults by Sharon Potgieter, mother to recently acquitted murder suspect,
Thuli ‘Thulani’ Rudd.
Yesterday, the Swazi News team paid a visit to the Rudd home at the Mzimpofu
Mission, near Manzini.
Upon arrival, a child, believed to be Thuli’s daughter, opened the main door
and welcomed the scribes.
A few moments later, Potgieter emerged from the house. When the journalists
introduced themselves, the elderly woman suddenly became angry. She went
completely berserk and started shouting, asking why the journalists were
‘following and harassing’ her family.
When it was explained to her that the scribes were merely seeking comment from
her following the release of her daughter who spent nearly two years in jail,
she said she had nothing to say.
"What do you want from me? You newspaper people have been following and
harassing me ever since this thing started. Thuli has been released; what the
f*** do you want from me now? Just f*** off and leave me alone. I cannot take
this sh** anymore. Just leave me alone," screamed the woman popularly known as
Granny in the area.
Worth noting is that Potgieter uttered all these insults in the presence of two
young children, a boy and a girl, believed to be Rudd’s children. She then
shut the door on the bemused journalists faces while she continued yelling and
swearing inside the house.
Interviewed neighbours alleged that they had seen Rudd on Thursday evening,
entering the house and greeting her children whom she last saw about two years
ago.
They alleged that during our encounter with Potgeiter, Rudd was inside the house
even though this could not be immediately verified.