One of the four accused in a case concerning the disappearance of a German holidaymaker in Cape Town has confessed to robbing the tourist of his possessions, a South African court heard on Thursday.
In a video clip played to the court in the Cape Town suburb of Wynberg, the man admits to being part of a group that attacked Nick Frischke and his friends on a mountain path in the area.
The accused said the group had taken drugs before the attack. Frischke, who was 22 at the time, has been missing since February 15, 2023.
According to police, the four suspects were found with Frischke's backpack, mobile phone and credit card.
The accused, all South Africans, have pleaded not guilty. They have been held in custody since their arrest around three years ago. Charges laid against a fifth suspect have been dropped due to lack of evidence.
In January, police investigator Dudley Truter testified that one member of the group had made a sworn statement alleging that a fellow suspect stabbed Frischke in the back. According to the statement, the wound left Frischke unable to walk properly, Truter said.
Police have thus far been unable to gather sufficient evidence for a murder charge.
The last known trace of Frischke is a security camera image showing him, dressed in sportswear, on his way to a hiking trail at the foot of Karbonkelberg in Hout Bay, south of Cape Town.
The trial is to continue on Friday.
South Africa is a popular tourist destination, despite a high crime rate. According to official figures, in the first quarter of this year, almost 5,200 people were murdered in a country with a population of some 63 million.
