Families row over slain woman’s funeral

I’ll bury my own, not the accused, says mother of shot daughter

THERE was drama behind the scenes yesterday when a police constable appeared in court accused of shooting his wife, with both families claiming they had the right to bury the slain woman.

In the gallery, a group of 50 family members and friends of Constable Zandisile Zweni, 44, took sides with Zandisile’s 60-year-old brother Mlindeli Zweni.

Mlindeli said that the mother of Andiswa Zweni, Nomthandazo Robsini, was demanding the body of her daughter so she could bury her at her home in NU18.

Zweni complained: “She didn’t even ask us but was giving an order. “But what we have said is that Zandisile will have a final say in the matter because she was still married to him,” said Zweni.

Those gallery members supporting Andiswa’s family asked the Daily Dispatch to call Robsini, 64.

The distraught mother told the Dispatch the Zwenis had forfeited the rights to organising Andiswa’s burial because of her killing.

Robsini said: “Andiswa deserves to be buried at her home where she is loved. She must be buried here by people who love her.”

Earlier, Zandisile Zweni, who is accused of fatally shooting his late wife Andiswa when she was attending a school governing body meeting at Voorpos Primary School on Friday, made his first court appearance.

Constable Zweni is charged with shooting Andiswa three times in her upper body in full view of staff and school management during an SGB introduction session at Cambridge West school.

Zandisile Zweni, who spent the weekend in jail after he was arrested at the crime scene on Friday, appeared quiet in court on his first appearance yesterday.

His eyes were bloodshot. Dressed in blue jeans with a matching denim jacket Zweni nodded slowly as he looked at magistrate Rochel Sam, who postponed the case to June 27 for further investigation.

Sam immediately transferred the case from her court to the bail court for a formal bail application.

Bail magistrate Joel Cesar postponed the formal bail application to Thursday.

Mlindeli Zweni told the Dispatch the couple had two young children.

Robsini said they had been married for a number of years and that Andiswa was an assistant director for the Justice Department in Chiselhurst.

Mlindeli said the couple started experiencing problems after selling their Highway Gardens home early in 2017.

He said they moved to a rented flat in Mdantsane’s NU7.

“She moved out of the flat in April and went back home.”

Mlindeli said Zandisile was based at Nyibiba police station in NU14 in Mdantsane.

“He asked for a transfer to Kidds Beach police station and I encouraged him to do that so that he could cool off. I didn’t expect the recent outcome.”

He said he was among a three-man family delegation who visited Andiswa’s home a number of times to beg her to come back home.

“I failed on many occasions. Every time we went there, she would tell us that she had no intention of being Zandisile’s wife again.”

Robsini said Andiswa had left her husband in October after an ugly incident with a weapon. —