‘R10 000 to kill my daughter’
R10 000 – that’s the amount Devika Rani Seeripat, 73, was prepared to pay to have her daughter, Ashrika Seeripat, killed.
On July 7 last year, Ashrika, 42, who was unemployed at the time of her death, was found strangled in the bedroom of her home in Kadville Heights, Umzinto.
A few days later, police arrested Seeripat, who ran a crèche from her home; Bongi Mbili, 54, the domestic worker; and Madodandina “Patrick” Mkula, 42, a gardener.
The three are on trial in the High Court, sitting in Scottburgh. Mbili is a State witness. They have pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
The matter is being presided over by Judge Jacqui Hendricks.
Testifying in her defence, Seeripat said that she had been subjected to verbal, emotional and physical abuse from Ashrika for more than 30 years.
She claimed Ashrika suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and was on medication.
Seeripat testified that the abuse stopped for a few months when her husband, Ramjathan Seeripat, died on July 1, 2021. He was a retired school principal who then got a teaching job at a private school.
This week, Seeripat told the court that Ramjathan had left her R140 000.
She claimed Ashrika spent some of the money on online purchases from Huda, Takealot, Snatcher, Hey Gorgeous and Pick n Pay. She also used the money on meals at John Dory’s and Spur.
Seeripat said that in April last year Ashrika decided that she needed plastic surgery. It cost more than R100 000 and the doctor wanted a R30 000 deposit.
Seeripat said after her husband died, she had changed to a cheaper medical aid option. This made Ashrika angry.
“To pacify her, I changed the medical aid back to the original cover. The medical aid was not going to pay for the surgery because it was cosmetic and did not affect her health.”
Seeripat said in May last year, Ashrika demanded to know how much money her father had left them and became angry when she heard the amount.
“She swore at her father saying: ‘How does he expect us to live off this money?’
“I told her we both needed to do something (to earn an income). She took a wooden pestle and mortar, and began hitting me on my back and head.”
Seeripat testified that during the attack, Mbili walked into the kitchen with her (Seeripat) grandson. She said Ashrika, who had taken some tablets, then shoved some into her grandson’s mouth.
“Bongi took my grandson into the bathroom and got the tablets out of his mouth, and I took it from Ashrika. Later that night, Ashrika said she would ‘respect daddy’ and won’t ask about the money.
“She said we would only talk after July 1, 2022, my husband’s death anniversary. But she wanted me to deposit R30 000 on July 8, 2022, for her plastic surgery. She believed her father left her R2 million and she planned on calling the lawyer about the money on July 11, 2022.”
Seeripat said she later confided in Mbili that she could no longer take the abuse.
“I told Bongi, now she is wanting money and I don’t have that money. The best thing to do is, I need to take this child out of this world because I cannot manage with her anymore. The only person I trust is Patrick (Mkula). I have his number.
“I am going to phone him to come and help me.”
Seeripat said she called Mkula who agreed to see her without knowing exactly why. He had worked as a security guard when she was not at home and had also done odd jobs around her home.
She said in 2019, Ashrika had accused him of stealing her cellphone and although there was no evidence, she had sworn at him and told him she never wanted to see him again.
Seeripat said she initially met Mkula under the carport at her home.
“I explained to him that she hit me very badly during that week. I told him I need to get rid of this child, I cannot stay with her anymore.
“I explained to him that I needed to get rid of her for good.
“He said ‘sorry granny, I won’t do something like that but give me time to think about it’.”
Seeripat claimed a few days later Mkula visited her and allegedly said he would take the job.
He wanted R40 000 but since she did not have that amount, they settled on R10 000. A few days later, she paid a deposit of R5 000 to him.
For three weeks afterward, she could not get a hold of Mkula.
On June 19, 2022, the day she had a prayer for her husband, she was able to speak to Mkula.
“I told Patrick, I have a deadline so please help me soon. My deadline was July 8, 2022.”
She also told him to use a rope to kill Ashrika.
“I told him, ‘I don’t want knives or a gun’. He said, ‘he knows what to do’.”
The court heard that on July 6 last year, a day before Ashikra’s death, Seeripat asked her neighbour, Mohammed Taylor, to withdraw R5 000. However, he did not know what the money was for and only withdrew R3 000.
Seeripat told the court that on July 7 last year, the day of the killing, she spoke to Mkula over the phone and he confirmed he was coming to her home.
She said she left the R3 000 with Mbili and told her to tell Mkula he should return for the remaining R2 000 once the job was done.
Seeripat then left with Taylor to go to Scottburgh. On her way there, Mbili called to say there had been a robbery. She said she returned home and pressed the panic button.
She also testified that she blacked out when Mbili told her she had heard Ashrika scream.
Advocate Trisha Citera, representing Mkula, said he would testify that he had not spoken to Seeripat on the day of the killing and had not received any money from her.
Seeripat responded that this was not true.
Citera said Mkula would testify that he did not kill Ashrika.
Seeripat replied that she could not say he did because she had not seen him kill Ashrika.
Prosecutor Mziwodumo Miza questioned Seeripat on why she had not reported the abuse to the authorities.
She said: “My husband and I chose not to report the abuse. We live in a small community. I work with children at my crèche and my husband, although retired, was a teacher at a private school. It (the abuse) was not a good reflection on our home. She was taking her meds. Reporting her would serve no purpose to us.”
Miza asked if reporting the matter would have cast her family in a negative light.
“Yes, I did not want that to interfere with my husband’s prospects of working at the private school and the community taking away the children I was working with at the crèche,” she said.
The trial continues.