Anni’s dad faces down killer
Hindocha meets her killer in prison cell hoping to discover how she met her end
ANNI Dewani’s father, Vinod Hindocha, has come face to face with his daughter’s killer in the hope of learning the truth behind her murder.
Yesterday Hindocha and his brother Ashok met Zola Tongo in his cell, where he is serving an 18-year sentence.
A source told the Mail Online that the Hindochas were meeting Tongo because they feel that he knows more about the murder and withheld details from prosecutors after he was given a lesser jail term in exchange for helping the police in their investigation. The meeting is part of a restorative justice meeting organised by the Department of Correc- tional Services.
The meeting comes a week before Tongo’s appeal for parole is heard. He is eligible from September and Dewani’s family are expected to submit an impact statement to the parole board.
But the Hindocha family believe Tongo is shedding crocodile tears in his hope of getting an early release.
Dewani was shot dead after she and her billionaire husband Shrien were hijacked by Tongo and two gunman while they were making a detour through Gugulethu in 2010. The newlyweds were honeymooning in Cape Town at the time.
Hindocha would not discuss the meeting, but said that he would not rest until he knew the full story. He had vowed never to return to South Africa after Shrien was cleared of Dewani’s murder in 2014.
Shrien was accused of hiring Tongo to recruit hitmen who would kill Dewani in a staged incident.
Tongo first met the couple when he picked them up from Cape Town Airport in November 2010.
Crucial to the State’s case was CCTV footage that showed Shrien spending more than 10 minutes speaking to Tongo.
The following evening Tongo was driving the couple through Gugulethu when they were hijacked. Shrien managed to escape, while Dewani was found in the abandoned mini bus taxi, the following morning, with a gunshot wound to the neck.
Later that day Shrien was caught on CCTV paying Tongo, which the State claimed was for the hit. Shrien said it was simply cash owed for hiring the vehicle.
Shrien was extradited to South Africa, but the trial against him collapsed after the judge threw out the case.
Tongo’s co-accused, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni, were sentenced to life. Mngeni died in jail from a brain tumour.
Shrien claimed the men had tried to frame him.
Since the trial, Shrien has started a relationship with Brazilian-born photographer Gledison Lopez Martins.
In an affidavit, Hindocha said that neither he, nor his daughter knew before the marriage about Shrien’s secret gay lifestyle, which involved male prostitutes and visiting gay clubs. AUSTERITY may be the theme of today’s inauguration, but the glitzy event is still in contrast with the millions of South Africans living below the poverty line.
The DA’S chief whip in the national assembly, John Steenhuisen, said it was unnecessary to host such an extravagant and expensive event.
“I have no doubt that a massively scaled down event held at the Union Buildings and broadcast to the nation would suffice,” insisted Steenhuisen.
“It would send out a clear message that government is alive to the suffering of many people and is committed to spending public money on the public, and not a day jamboree that focuses on politicians.”
Although Ramaphosa’s inauguration will cost R100 million less than former president Jacob Zuma’s in 2014, Steenhuisen believes it is still too extravagant.
“The fact that the Presidency says that they have ‘cut costs’ is disingenuous, especially considering the fact that all they have done is foisted the transport and catering costs on to local municipalities, who themselves are cash-strapped.
“We felt that the amount is excessive, given the financial constraints that the country finds itself in with very limited economic growth, 10 million South Africans unemployed and massive backlogs in service delivery in housing and sanitation, etc.
“It seems excessive to spend this amount of money on a single day of events.”
He said the government shouldn’t be focused on events filled with “glitz, glamour and excess in the face of poverty, unemployment and struggle.
“It’s no good government constantly exhorting the public to tighten their belts in the face of rising food, fuel, VAT and cost of living increases and then government carries on with such profligate expenditure.”
The event, which will be held outside the Union Buildings for the first time in the country’s history, is set to be a glitzy affair with 26 countries attending.
“Not all of these countries will be represented by their heads of state.
“Others have brought their representatives,” a government official said last night.
By noon yesterday, Kimberly Reed, a representative from the White House selected by US President Donald Trump, had already arrived.
Reed is the head of the Export-import Bank of the US.
Zuma, who did not attend this year’s State of the Nation address, is also expected to be in attendance, as are other former presidents Thabo Mbeki, FW de Klerk and Kgalema Motlanthe.
Ramaphosa and his entourage took time out to attend a rehearsal session.
However, behind the scenes, organisers who rushed to put together the final preparations were met with growing dissatisfaction about the logistics surrounding the venue.
This includes the accreditation for members of the public wishing to attend the inauguration and how they will be getting to the venue.
Organisers said the public would have to arrive as early as 3am to obtain their accreditation bands.
The stadium, which is used as a rugby stadium, has the capacity to accommodate 51 762 people but only 32 000 people would be allowed in today.
Organisers have increased police and security personnel, while most surrounding streets near the venue will be cordoned off today.
But glitches haven’t dampened the mood of those in government.
“It is a very exciting time.
“There are a lot of preparations we needed to do and touch-ups. With the president at the stadium, we were also privy to the most beautiful cultural display,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko said.
While the mood was jovial, the inauguration also signalled crunch time for the ruling government as everyone would need to go back to work to meet the mandate set out by South Africans following the elections, Diko said.