The homeless man who was arrested on Wednesday after claiming in a radio interview to have witnessed Brett Kebble’s murder, earlier gave the Mail & Guardian a description of the “killer”.
Lesego Amos Yekane (24) was interviewed by the M&G on Tuesday. He described the alleged killer as a “huge man with a bald head”, and claimed to have seen him later in newspaper photographs in the company of African National Congress Youth League members who had supported Jacob Zuma at his rape trial.
Yekane said he thought the man was the bodyguard of league president Fikile Mbalula.
Asked whether Mbalula had such a bodyguard, league spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said: “We cannot discuss the security arrangements of the president. This hobo is mad; he needs psychiatric treatment … He is a moron who is out to smear the good names of people.”
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht was quoted as saying Yekane was arrested after being found on Wednesday night at the South African Broadcasting Corporation studios in Johannesburg, where he had been interviewed for radio broadcasts the following day. Yekane, who did not object to being identified when interviewed by the M&G, was not identified on air.
Martins-Engelbrecht said Yekane was arrested on a warrant relating to a Free State housebreaking and theft case and would be taken to Bloemfontein. She said Yekane’s Kebble claims, made to police on Sunday, “could not be confirmed”, although investigations were continuing.
Yekane told the M&G on Tuesday that on the night of the murder he had gone to his “sleeping spot” after drinking in Johannesburg and scrounging for food at a dumping site. As he prepared to sleep, he heard the sound of cars on gravel.
He saw three luxury sedans parked in the nearby park: a light coloured Mercedes Benz — Kebble drove a silver one — and two BMWs, one silver and one black. The Mercedes had five occupants and the silver BMW two. The black BMW appeared to be empty.
A man from the silver BMW went to lean at the Mercedes driver’s window for about five minutes. He then went back to the silver BMW, which sped off.
Yekane went to sleep, but was awoken later by a loud bang. “When I raised my head I saw a huge man with a bald head walking from the Merc towards the [remaining] BMW. I saw him clearly in the bright lights of the BMW.”
The BMW sped off, while the Mercedes “reversed” towards the bridge where it crashed. Earlier reports have indicated that after Kebble was shot, his car had moved forward to where it crashed.
According to Yekane, he went home to Bloemfontein “because I felt scared”. He returned to Johannesburg in February.
Yekane claimed he was initially reluctant to report what he had seen as he thought police would not believe a homeless man. Last week, he went to several police stations, but was not taken seriously. He was advised to call the crime-stop number, which he did.
On Sunday, he met police investigators. “We went to the scene and they asked me a lot of questions about the murder for about 30 minutes …”
“I told them everything but they did not seem convinced. I told them I could identify the man I think killed Kebble if they could get me pictures that were taken outside the court during the Zuma rape trial or any pictures that have Fikile Mbalula and other members of the youth league.”
Martins-Engelbrecht reportedly confirmed that Yekane had been interviewed by police investigators on Sunday. “A follow-up meeting was due to take place on Wednesday, but the alleged witness did not show up at the place and time
as arranged.”