Cape Town - The trial of the man accused of killing 17-year-old Yonela Kopana continued in the Western Cape High Court where detective Nico Davids took the stand.
Xolelani Mjada, Yonela’s stepfather, is charged with rape, murder, robbery and housebreaking after Yonela’s body was found in her home in Wellington on November 10, 2020.
The girl had been strangled and left with a 13mm stab wound to the side of her head.
The State alleges that the evening before her body was found, Mjada broke into the Kopanas’ home where he stabbed and assaulted the 17-year-old, robbing her of her cellphone.
That night, Mjada was spotted by neighbours leaving their home as he climbed through a window. At the time, a court order prohibited Mjada from entering the Kopanas’ home.
Davids yesterday testified that he was investigating the murder from the outset. He said forensic teams assisted in taking DNA samples and fingerprints. A piece of blood-stained cloth cut from the curtain had been retrieved from the scene. In addition, the window was broken with most of the glass fragments inside the shack.
“The mother of the victim explained that she was not at home when the incident happened. She came home from sleeping at another place and found the victim on her bed.
“She tried to wake up her daughter because she was not responding and in the process, she removed her from the bed and onto the floor,” Davids said.
The pathologist who examined the body deduced the time of death to be around midnight, he said.
Questioned by State advocate Bonginkosi Maki, Davids said from his initial investigation, he did not have a suspect in mind at the time, but the teen’s mother Phumeza had convinced him otherwise.
“I obtained statements from witnesses, then I started to find out that there was person of interest. The victim’s mother suspected the accused and gave reasons why,” Davids said.
Phumeza Kopano had testified about the violent streaks Mjada had displayed during their marriage which resulted in her getting a protection order against him. She also said Mjada would often beat Yonela.
Questioned about the teen’s murder, Mjada denied all but he took his fingerprints and DNA.
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