Rosemary Ndlovu and co-accused’s Legal Aid lawyer accuses cop of making ‘peculiar enquiries’

A Legal Aid lawyer who represents Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu is considering withdrawing from the case. 

The court was told Baloyi Makamu felt uncomfortable to proceed with the case after the investigating officer, Sgt Benneth Keshi Mabunda, had allegedly enquired about her from her colleagues. 

A newly appointed lawyer for Ndlovu, identified as Molotane, told the Kempton Park magistrate’s court: “We are going to escalate a complaint to the relevant authorities.

“The allegation is he contacted a prosecutor in Thembisa asking peculiar information about my colleague [Makamu]. Where does she reside? Where does she hang out? Who is she married to? That raises great concern for our office.

“We are going to escalate this with the police to have this addressed. The motive for this is not known and it is unethical behaviour. That is going to be addressed. We wanted to put it on record,” said Molotane. 

Magistrate Prince Manyathi said at the next appearance, he would like to be addressed on a way forward regarding these allegations.

“I will need more information. The state must respond on if it happened and, if it did, why,” said Manyathi. 

Ndlovu, a former police officer, appeared together with her co-accused Nomsa Mudau, who is also a former police officer. Mudau was stationed at the Norkem Park police station. The pair are accused of plotting to murder Mudau’s now ex-husband, Justice Mudau, in 2018.

Ndlovu also faces a separate charge of conspiring to murder the investigating officer in the multiple murder case which led to her conviction in October 2021. 

Sgt Mabunda was integral in the case which led to her being given six life sentences for the murder of five of her relatives and lover between 2012 and 2018. Ndlovu was alleged to have plotted to have him killed while she was behind bars shortly after her arrest.

Ndlovu also stands accused of plotting to kill Col Nthipe Boloka. He was her commander at the Thembisa south police station where she worked. Boloka told TimesLIVE he was the one who instigated the investigations into Ndlovu after a tipoff that she was planning to kill her sister, Joyce Ndlovu, in March 2018. 

Joyce’s murder, like those of her other relatives, was to be carried out so Ndlovu could cash in on large sums from insurance policies she had under their names. A sting operation was carried out which led to Ndlovu being arrested before Joyce was due to be killed. 

From behind bars, Ndlovu allegedly plotted to have Boloka killed. That plan was thwarted. 

Tuesday’s proceedings were to disclose the contents of the docket to Ndlovu after she told the court in April she had no idea where the charges against her stemmed from.

Her legal representative on Tuesday told the court they had received the contents of the docket.

The case was postponed to July 7 to give them time to consult.

Ndlovu remains behind bars while Nomsa Mudau is out on warning.

Justice Mudau allegedly narrowly escaped being killed when he received a tipoff from alleged hitmen informing him his wife had promised them cash to kill him. Ndlovu was allegedly the “middlewoman” in the saga, accused of connecting the hitmen to Mudau. 

Both women are yet to plead in the cases. 

TimesLIVE

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