Domestic worker only had bruises

Accused of killing employer

THE domestic worker accused of killing her employer, Musgrave widow Shakila Singh, had no injuries other than the bruises on her knees allegedly sustained when she crawled out for help.

This was according to Constable Lorraine Buthelezi, one of the police officers who attended to the scene at the Musgrave Gardens complex on February 29 last year.

The 57-year-old woman died in her bedroom.

Nonjabulo Mteki, 33; Kennedy Amon Ngongi, 28; and Ally Jumah Abdullah, 39; are in custody and have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Testifying during the trial in the Durban High Court yesterday, Buthelezi said Mteki showed them bruises on her knees and claimed she sustained them when she crawled out to get help for Singh.

“She said the robbers had tied her hands and feet and forced her under the table, then they went upstairs where her madam was,” Buthelezi testi- fied. She said Mteki told them that she stayed under the table until the men left the house.

Mteki had claimed the construction workers next door untied her and then she called the police.

“She said she tried to assist Singh by removing the tape from the mouth and poured water on her to wake her up,” said Buthelezi.

Relationship

According to the indictment, it is alleged Mteki was in a relationship with one Kenny Osita Okiri, whose business involved buying and selling of gold and other precious metals or stones.

It is believed that Okiri learnt from Mteki that Singh owned many pieces of gold and diamond jewellery, money and foreign currency which she kept at the premises and they planned to rob her. Okiri is still at large. Buthelezi said they found Singh lying on her back with a tape across her mouth.

“It was not clear if she was injured, but there were blood stains on the bed around the ear area. It seemed like the blood came through the ear,” she said.

Garrith Jamieson, a Rescue Care paramedic who attended the scene, told the court that Singh’s face was swollen, which indicated skull fracture and internal bleeding.

Abdullah and Ngongi allegedly used a gate remote control that Mteki had given them previously to gain access to the complex.

The State alleges that on a pretext of a robbery, they tied Mteki’s hands and feet and proceeded to Singh’s bedroom, suffocated her and robbed her of jewellery, cellphones, two tablets and R1 000.

Mahmood Hussain Ally, a resident at the complex who allegedly saw the two men entering Singh’s house and then leaving about 45 minutes later, told the court the property had controlled access.

He said the only way the robbers could have gained access would have been through someone inside the premises.

Ally said after he saw the men leaving, he then heard screams and he went to investigate.

He knew Mteki was a domestic worker at Singh’s house and remembered seeing Mteki at the house after the incident.

The trial continues.