Johannesburg - The 24-year-old man alleged to have fatally stabbed the son of Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, was reported to be suffering from a mental illness.
Carlos Higuera's lawyer told the
Johannesburg Magistrate's Court that he suffered from schizophrenia.
The court was
told that Higuera's family had informed his lawyers he started acting strangely
in 2010.
He was then
admitted to several hospitals and mental institutions and was on medication.
Higuera's
father, who is originally from Chile, took to the stand on Wednesday afternoon
where he explained to the court the illness from which his son suffered.
Higuera, 24,
faces a murder charge after he was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stabbing
23-year-old Chumani Nqakula to death.
It was
understood that Nqakula and Higuera were acquaintances.
It is unclear
what led to the incident which resulted in Nqakula's death.
When Higuera
first appeared in court on Monday, he had clear bruise marks on his head.
Magistrate
Albertus Roux questioned him about the bruising, to which he replied repeatedly:
"They had injured me."
Higuera later
explained he had sustained an injury to his head and body when he was attacked
by two men on the night of the stabbing - one of them being Nqakula.
Chumani's
father, Charles Nqakula was previously the minister of defence and later the
minister of safety and security. He is currently high commissioner to
Mozambique.
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