Natural causes cannot be ruled out in the death of acting judge Patrick Maqubela, a forensic expert told the court.
|||Cape Town -
Natural causes cannot be ruled out in the death of acting judge Patrick Maqubela, the Western Cape High Court heard on Monday.
“I agree with State pathologist Sipho Mfolozi's report that the cause of death could not be determined,” said Prof Gert Saayman, head of forensic medicine at the University of Pretoria.
“I am not in a position to exclude natural causes. They cannot be excluded.”
He said a sudden and unexplained death was common.
The judge was found dead in his bed at his Bantry Bay apartment on June 5, 2009.
Saayman was testifying for the defence in the murder case against the judge's widow, Thandi Maqubela, and her business associate, Vela Mabena. Both have pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Maqubela has also pleaded not guilty to forging her husband's signature on his will and fraudulently presenting it at the Johannesburg office of the Master of the High Court.
In response to a question by Maqubela's counsel, Marius Broeksma, Saayman said: “With the greatest respect, the deceased, at the time of his death, was not in normal or excellent health.”
He said the judge had a viral flu-like infection at the time of his death, as indicated by medication found at his bedside.
“The deceased's illnesses and other conditions at the time of his death cannot be discounted as possible causes of death.
“I do thousands of autopsies, many of them involving people who had died suddenly and unexpectedly. In a significant number of autopsies involving sudden and unexpected death we cannot determine the cause of death.”
He said the blood found on his face could have originated from infected sinuses.
“Without being unduly technical, post mortems are not an exact science.”
Saayman said Maqubela was a “little obese” and this contributed to the rapid start of decomposition.
Other contributing factors to the state of decomposition included that he was warmly dressed, was under a duvet, the bedroom windows were closed, and a fan heater in the room was switched on.
“He also had a flu-like infection, which would have increased his body temperature.”
Saayman said the judge's room was “fairly neat” without any signs of a struggle, which would have been evident had he been suffocated.
The case continues on July 24. - Sapa