‘I don’t want bail. I am sick’
The man who threw acid at his girlfriend and stabbed her to death, claims he is sick and wants to remain in jail.
|||Cape Town - The man who threw acid in his girlfriend’s face and stabbed her to death, claims he is sick and wants to remain in jail.
Lloyd Simba Hillary, now identified as Simbarashe Lloyd Dube, is accused of murder and assault after he had allegedly stalked, assaulted and stabbed Nikita Lewis, 24, eighteen times.
During a brief appearance in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court, the 39-year-old Zimbabwean, who appeared neat and clean, was surprisingly clear about what he wanted.
Before proceedings got underway, relatives of the deceased were told to move to the second row of benches in court, as the front had to be cleared for police.
Prosecutor Rashied Daniels was adamant that Nikita’s father, Leon Lewis, be moved to the back of the court where he was seated next to his wife Bonita.
Dube told the court he wanted to remain in jail, would represent himself and said he was sick.
“I don’t want bail. I am sick,” he told Magistrate Keith le Keur
Asked if he was physically ill, the accused shook his head no. Magistrate Le Keur then postponed the matter for further investigation.
Dube had a long history of violence with Nikita, and even broke her grandmothers arm in an attempt to get to her.
Nikita had for four months been hiding at the Saartjie Baartman Centre in Athlone after Dube allegedly threw drain cleaner in her face in June because she threatened to leave him.
On Friday, Nikita had gone to a nearby shop, where Dube was allegedly waiting for her.
The two fought, and Dube stabbed her 18 times in full view of shocked onlookers. Ahmed Mohamed Jahid, the Bangladeshi shopkeeper of the Pick ’n Save Superette, managed to keep him from fleeing.
After the attack, Dube allegedly said: “She did this, she made me do it.”
A heartbroken Leon said he feels responsible for Nikita’s brutal death because he was not there to protect her.
Leon, who’s work takes him away from home for months at a time, told the Daily Voice: “She was my daughter, mine to protect and I was at sea, working.
“I was not even here when he threw acid at her and assaulted my wife and broke my mother-in-law’s arm.”
Leon expressed his disappointment that Dube won’t be applying for bail.
With a murderous look in his eyes he said: “He knows why he refused bail.”
Nikita’s family and friends, who were all dressed in black at court, say they are still shocked at her murder, although they’ve been fearing for her life for a long time.
Leon said Dube worked as a security guard in a mental hospital in Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa. He couldn’t say when he arrived here.
Nikita’s grandmother, Hilda Rosa Isaacs, 75, says on the day that Dube threw acid in Nikita’s face, she and Bonita tried to stop him but he assaulted them, breaking her arm.
Hilda said: “He is a monster and he said he would never stop until he got her.”
Nikita’s aunt, Connie Meiring, said she went to the Manenberg police station on Saturday where Dube was being held.
“He just said sorry, with no remorse. He took a child from her mother and left a little boy motherless. He will not get away with this.”
Dube will appear in court again on December 4.
Daily voice