Xolisile Botha Mbebetho, who is serving 22 years in jail for killing Siemens, told a Free State High Court judge that he would stay up all night in fear that he would be attacked. He said he would stay awake at night while everyone was asleep and only go to bed when everyone was awake in the morning. 

Mbebetho was allegedly knocked down by a vehicle that landed him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in hospital and no one was ever charged or prosecuted for the incident. 

He claims the man believed to be the mastermind behind the murder, Stanley Bakili, had hired him to kill Siemens at Preller Square in the basement parking on May 10, 2018, and promised him R200 000. 

He was arrested in October 2018 while on crutches in Bloemfontein, five months after he killed Siemens in cold blood.

On Monday during the continuation of his cross-examination by Advocate Dawie Reyneke - who is representing disbarred attorney, Karabo Tau, and a repeat offender, Mojalefa Jali Molosi - he reiterated that his testimony is to get back at Bakili. He said Bakili used him and had disrespected him by not holding up his end of the deal. He detailed how he, after his arrest, had to resort to asking family members for help and also asking for help from his children's social grant money.

He was quizzed by Reyneke on why he has up until now not named an assailant who tried to kill him following a hit-and-run. This after he made a statement before the Bloemfontein magistrate that he knew that his co-accused wanted to murder him.

Mbebetho told the court that he is 100% sure that his co-accused hit him with a car in an attempt to kill him. He said while in the hospital regaining his memory, he was convinced that the incident was linked to the murder case of Siemens.  

The trial, where eight men - including the alleged mastermind Stanley Bakili - are standing trial for their alleged roles in the murder of Siemens, continued on Monday after a break of four months. Reyneke will continue with cross-examining Mbebetho on Tuesday.

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