Acting High Court Judge Stuart Wilson on Friday delivered judgment in the murder trial. He found that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt that Shoba plotted to have Pule killed in 2020.

Shoba, a former JSE analyst, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

“On count one of the indictment, I find you guilty of the premeditated murder of Tshegofatso Pule. On count two of the indictment, I find you not guilty of obstructing justice,” Judge Wilson said.

He said the evidence all points in one direction, that Shoba hired Muzikayise Malephane to kill Pule.

Murder plot

At the time of her death, Pule was eight months pregnant with Shoba’s child. She was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, on 4 June 2020.

The 28-year-old beautician was murdered by self-confessed gunman Malephane, who in 2020 confessed to the killing and turned state witness.

Also read: Man arrested for murder of pregnant Tshegofatso Pule

Malephane is currently serving 20 years in prison after being sentenced in February 2021.

During the trial, Malephane told the court Shoba hired him to kill Pule because he did not want the woman he regarded as his wife to find out about Pule’s pregnancy.

Malephane testified that he and Shoba hatched a plan for him to pick up Pule under the guise that he was an e-hailing driver.

Malephane picked up Pule at Shoba’s apartment in Florida and drove her to Noordgesig, where he shot her dead in an open field.

He then loaded her body into his vehicle and hanged her from a tree to make it look like a suicide.

This is a developing story.

The Citizen