HITMAN MAKES SISTERS PAY

One wanted sibling dead

A KWAZULU-Natal teacher who allegedly hired a hitman to murder her sibling over their late father’s will has pleaded not guilty to the crime, saying she is being unfairly prosecuted.

Nompumelelo Cele, 42, a teacher at a primary school in uMbumbulu near Durban appeared briefly at the uMlazi Magistrate ’ s Court last week facing a murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.

Her lawyer Simphiwe Nsele asked the court to grant his client time to prepare for her bail hearing, saying she intended pleading not guilty to the crime.

Cele is accused of hatching a murder plan early this year, her half-sister Ntombifuthi Cele being the target.

The state alleges that the bad blood between the sisters was sparked by their late father ’ s will.

The accused was allegedly angry that her half-sister was the major beneficiary of their father ’ s estate.

She allegedly set out on a mission to kill her sister so that she could be the only beneficiary.

She then allegedly solicited Mzwakhe Mncube’s services and offered to pay the hitman R20 000.

Ntombifuthi was allegedly abducted from her Umlazi home and taken to eNgonyameni reserve where she was killed and her head chopped off. Investigating officer Sanele Mhlanga said Ntombifuthi’s husband helped them to unlock the case.

“Her husband was the one who notified police. Ntombifuthi and her husband were duped by the alleged hitman.

“He told them that they were sent by the accused to kill her half-sister and said they must give him more money so that he could instead stop killing her (Nompumelelo),” said Mhlanga.

“The hitman was then given extra money by Ntombifuthi, but he allegedly went back to the contractor and demanded more money from her as well.

“She gave her an extra R10 000 with a promise to give him more once the job was done,” he said.

The hitman allegedly lured Ntombifuthi by telling her that she had killed her sister and that they needed to consult a sangoma to cleanse her sister ’ s spirit so that it could not haunt her.

On their way, the hitman apparently told them the alleged sangoma was waiting for them.

He then allegedly shot and killed Ntombifuthi but her husband managed to escape and notified police.

The matter is back in court on Thursday for a bail hearing. MBUSO Khoza has relived the days leading to his wife’s death.

Khoza, 41, told Sowetan the alleged hitman tricked him into believing that he would not kill his wife Ntombifuthi Cele. He said in exchange for R15 000, he would not carry out the crime.

The next day, the man came back to the couple and said he had killed the person who planned his wife’s murder and that they must consult a sangoma

Husband recalls wife s murder

where she was to be cleansed to ward off bad spirits for participating in the crime, he said.

Khoza said on their way to the alleged sangoma, the hitman ordered him to stop near a forest where he claimed the sangoma was waiting for them.

“It was very late at night; he (the hitman) ordered me to remain behind and took my wife with him. After an hour, he came back and requested that I borrow him a phone. I was confused, I gave it to him. He then uttered the words: ‘ The job is done’.

“I quickly realised that there were blood stains on his clothes, that’s when I fled the scene to ask for help,” said Khoza. –