Couple in court after cop’s death

A COUPLE accused of stabbing a policeman to death and then burying him in a shallow grave in their back yard, where his remains were found more than a year later, made a brief appearance in the Western Cape High Court yesterday.

Barnabas Sentiwe and his wife, Phumla Veli, have not yet pleaded to the single count of murder they are facing in connection with the killing of policeman Monwabisi Wilford Mnyombolo.

It is alleged that Sentiwe accused Mnyombolo of having an affair with Veli, and that the two men had a heated argument on the evening of October 24, 2009, which culminated in the stabbing. Months later Sentiwe sold his house and moved.

In May 2011 – about 17 months after Mnyombolo was killed – the new owners of the house noticed a piece of a pair of pants protruding from the ground in the back yard. When they pulled it out, they discovered bones inside.

Forensic testing confirmed that the bones were Mnyombolo’s remains.

It is the State’s case that Sentiwe committed the murder, but that Veli was an accessory after the fact. According to the charge sheet, Sentiwe made “reports” to his son and ex-wife about the incident.

The couple yesterday appeared in the high court for a pre-trial conference. The case was postponed. They are expected to appear in court again on March 8.