Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

A young Polokwane man accused of murdering a retired SA National Defence Force general two years ago told the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday he had acted in anger because the general insulted him, and had not meant to kill him.

Joel Tebogo Mogale, 20, admitted that he had attacked retired Lt-Gen Gert Johannes Petrus de Wachter, 74, with an iron pipe at his home in Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, in August 2003, but denied murdering or robbing him.

Mogale testified that De Wachter had employed him that day to wash his car, but suddenly started swearing at him after he had finished the work.

He became angry, "lost control" and attached the man with an iron pipe.

When the general fled into his house, he followed and continued the assault.

Mogale said he had dragged the general to the dining room and wrapped his head in a towel because there was blood on the floor and he did not want blood to leak onto the carpet.

He claimed he had tied up his victim because he wanted keys to get out of the property and had dressed in De Wachter's clothes because his own were covered in blood. He had taken De Wachter's cellphone "because it started ringing," he added.

"I was panic stricken, as I had no intention to act as I did. I was extremely angry. That's why I took his clothes and cellphone," he said.

The court earlier admitted a statement Mogale made to police, in which he said he had scaled a fence at the house, waited inside and attacked De Wachter.

De Wachter's son, Johan, testified that his father was very aware of security and would not have employed someone off the street to wash his car. He said his father had a prior appointment that morning, but never arrived at his destination. He discovered his father's body after trying to contact him but receiving no answer.

He never saw any sign that a car had been washed at his father's house and only discovered the murder weapon hidden in one of his father's cupboards a month later.

The prosecution argued that Mogale's version should be rejected, as it differed no only from his statement to police, but also from an earlier version presented during a trial-within-a-trial about the admissibility of his police statement.

The defence, however, argued that Mogale's version was reasonably possibly true and that he should be convicted of culpable homicide and theft, as he had clearly not meant to kill his victim.

The trial was postponed to August 22 for judgment.