New true crime doccie anthology explores Flabba’s murder
A NEW crime documentary anthology, Imibuzo, answers lingering questions about some of South Africa’s major news stories from the last decade.
New episodes drop every Monday until July 10, 2023, with the next two episodes focusing on the murder of Tshegofatso Pule, who went missing in 2020 after visiting her boyfriend Ntuthuko Shoba, and the Enyobeni Tavern massacre, where 21 people died.
The documentary kicks off with the murder of Nkululeko Habedi, fondly known as Flabba, who was part of Skwatta Kamp.
The multi-award-winning hip hop star died at his home in Alexandra in the early hours of March 9, 2015, while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The episode also interviews Flabba’s fellow Skwatta Kamp rapper Siya Metane, fondly known as Slikour.
Slikour tells the group’s origin story from when they were all at school, and recalls his reaction to the news of Flabba’s passing, saying the only comparable moment in his life was when he heard the news about Riky Rick.
"It was early in the morning," he remembers.
"I got a call from Tshepang, and I woke up the whole house because I was crying. I exploded in tears. I was defeated. I was defeated. My kids, you know, when your kids see their father crying, I think it's one of those things that, even when they think about Flabba, they associate it with me going through that. Do you know what I mean? When I talk about him, they're like, ‘Oh, the guy that made you cry’."
The episode also features Lindi Masinga, who covered the story for Africa News Network, and Amanda Vilakazi, Manqele’s attorney of record, who speaks to her client’s self-defence strategy. Manqele was the girlfriend of Flabba who was convicted and sentenced for his killing.
Tshepang Habedi, who is Flabba’s brother, also spoke about the incident.
"She’s beautiful; she’s really beautiful; she's too beautiful for the crime she committed."
Flabba's cousin, Mpho Motsoari, who was also there that night, explains that she did not see the incident coming.
"They were happy together, and she was a good person, I won’t lie. I thought they’d get married as the years went by because they were deeply in love," said Motsoari.
"I heard Sindisiwe screaming. I didn’t think I heard right at the time because it was at night and it was quiet. I went into the house running, and I found her at the door, and Nkuli was lying down. What surprised me was that Nkuli had no clothes on; he had taken off his jeans and shirt. He was only in his underwear, in a pool of blood. Sindi then put the knife down while she was crying hysterically.
"I asked her what really happened, and then she told me where she stabbed him," said Motsoari.
"She said it was a mistake. She was already crying. She was crying even before we arrived and realised that he was no more. And when the ambulance arrived, she was still crying hysterically. When she tried to hurt herself with a bottle, the police were already there; they handcuffed her after she tried to cut herself."
The Star