COLESBERG – The trial of Siphosovuyo Yabo (22) for the murder of a student at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, Bunono Alulutho Buba, is set to continue early in 2027.

The Northern Cape Division of the High Court, sitting in Colesberg, postponed the proceedings to occur from 8 to 12 February. The initial trial took place from 12 to 16 October.

Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa, confirmed the proceedings.

Yabo is still in custody after unsuccessful bail applications last year. He is charged with murder and defeating the ends of justice in Buba’s death on 5 June last year in Colesberg. Her body was found in the veld with stab wounds to her throat and abdomen. Buba was enrolled at the CUT’s Bloemfontein campus, studying towards a Bachelor of Education (SP and FET) in Economic and Management Sciences (ECO Management) degree.

ALSO READ: Tragic loss: CUT student victim of gender-based violence

Senokoatsane said numerous witnesses have since testified about the circumstances surrounding Buba’s death and her relationship with Yabo. They include two friends, Buba’s guardian, and police officers who were among the first responders at the scene. Their accounts revealed underlying gender-based violence (GBV).

“Buba’s guardian testified that Yabo had allegedly been abusive towards the victim and that a protection order had previously been granted against him. Two of Buba’s friends, who were also students in Bloemfontein, testified about what they described as a volatile and violent relationship. Their testimony included evidence that Buba had at one stage changed the commune to distance herself from the accused,” said Senokoatsane.

ALSO READ: Suspected murderer of CUT’s female student denied bail

Senokoatsane said Yabo testified that on 4 June, he collected Buba from Bloemfontein to spend time together in Colesberg, claiming that they had reconciled and rekindled their affair.

He detailed Yabo’s testimony: “Yabo alleged that on the night of Buba’s death, they had been going to different taverns looking for alcohol. On returning home from the last tavern they visited, five unidentified men attacked them in an attempted robbery. Yabo claimed that he managed to escape to seek help and, on returning to the scene, he found Buba with a wound to her throat.”

Senokoatsane said a doctor who attended to Yabo while he was hospitalised testified as a state witness.