Cannibal killer: Andrew Chimboza who ripped out a man's heart and ate it to 'show he was not gay' has apologised to his victim's family 'for exceeding the boundaries of self-defence, a court heard

A businessman who ripped a man's heart out and ate it to 'prove he was not gay' has apologised to his victim's family for 'exceeding the boundaries of self-defence'.

Andrew Chimboza, 35, who runs a window tinting business, pleaded guilty to murdering Mbuyiselo Manona, 62, in the South African township of Gugulethu last year.

He told police after he was arrested that he gouged out Mr Manona's heart and ate it as he lay bleeding to death 'to show him that I am not a moffie [gay]'.

Appearing in court this week, Chimboza told the judge: 'I am sorry for what I have done and I have genuine remorse.

'I then took a knife and slit his throat and continued to stab him.

'I was so angry that I did not remember how many times I stabbed him or where.'

In his plea explanation, Chimboza later claimed Mr Manona attacked him in a jealous rage after accusing him of sleeping with his girlfriend.

He then explained he stabbed him and chopped out the man's heart because it was 'full of hatred and jealousy'.

He said: 'I do not know why I ate it and I accept my actions were wrong and exceeded the boundaries of self-defence.'

Prosecutor Jacqueline Sibiya said: 'Because the removal of the heart was not the cause of death per se, it does not therefore have too much bearing on the plea of murder.

'It is nonetheless very disturbing.'

A hearing last year heard that Chimboza flew into a rage after being insulted by Mr Manona while checking on a job he had done at his victim's girlfriend's house.

Prosecutor Quawnita Geyer read out Chimboza's statement during the bail hearing at the Athlone Magistrate's Court in Cape Town.

He said: 'In your warning statement you say: "I sit upon him and stabbed him on the chest, tore out his heart and took a knife and then sliced his heart and then I ate his heart.

"The reason for me to eat the unknown guy's heart was to show him that I am not a moffie [gay] and after I finished eating the heart, I realised he was dead.'

Chimboza, 35, who runs a window tinting business, pleaded guilty to stabbing Mbuyiselo Manona, 62, in the South African township of Gugulethu (above, file picture)

Investigating officer Constable Mphumelelo Yengwa told the hearing that the officer who arrested Chimboza at the scene found him chewing raw flesh and that Manona's neck had been 'half-eaten'.

He added that his chest had a gaping hole in the left side.

However, Chimboza, originally from Zimbabwe, later disputed the veracity of his statement, arguing that it was fabricated after he was assaulted by the police, according to Sowetanlive.com.

The brutal attack took place on the evening of June 10 last year.

Chimboza confirmed to the hearing that Manona had called him certain names, that they then fought and that he had stabbed him to death.

He said: 'The way I was continuously stabbing, that must have ripped his heart out. Because I was in a shocked state.'

Geyer retorted: 'All the witnesses that were there confirm you killed the deceased, you cut out his heart and ate it.

'They say there was flesh in your teeth and dry blood on your mouth.'