Mtshali and Kunene testified in Ndlovu's trial in 2021 when they said she hired them to kill several of her family members. They never carried out these killings and instead helped police arrest her.
Ndlovu's arrest in March 2018 revealed a pattern of killings in which she stood to gain large sums of money from her relatives' death.
Recalling the events of February 23 2018, Kunene said Mtshali called him and informed him of a lady who wanted a job carried out for her. They met Mudau at Zniko Lounge in Thembisa, where they got into a white Nissan bakkie she was driving.
Kunene alleged Mudau spoke bluntly, asking them to kill her husband.
“She just said, ‘Please help me, My husband is troubling me. He is cheating on me.’”
Mudau, who was reportedly going to work that day on night shift, allegedly wanted her husband killed the next day — a Saturday.
Kunene said during that meeting they did not discuss how Mudau's husband would be killed but only that she would call them once he arrived home.
“She [couldn't confirm a time] because she said his times of returning home were no longer predictable. She said she'd call us when he returns.”
The call from Nomsa Mudau never came, but by then Kunene and Mtshali had hatched a plan to inform her husband of the plot to kill him.
On February 24 2018 they contacted a Venda-speaking man by the name of Musanda, who they asked to help in getting the message to Justice Mudau.
“We wanted Justice to understand we are not killers,” said Kunene
The next daythey went to the Mudau home. They had allegedly been given directions to the house by Nomsa Mudau, who told them they could identify the property by a black BMW parked outside.
They spoke to Justice Mudau and informed him of the plot.
“We made him aware we are there as [we] were hired to kill him. He was scared, but he tried to keep a brave face. We tried to convince him we were there in good faith,” said Kunene.
They reportedly showed the husband his wife's cellphone number on Mtshali's phone and informed him they knew he was no longer eating lunchboxes packed by her.
The lunchbox issue made Mudau believe their version was true as he confirmed he was no longer eating her food because he was suspicious of her, Kunene said.
Nomsa Mudau and Ndlovu have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court has heard Nomsa Mudau intends to deny ever meeting Kunene, a claim Kunene dismissed as ridiculous, saying “she is playing games”.
The case was adjourned to Tuesday.
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'Hitmen' allegedly promised R80k from R3m insurance payout: Rosemary Ndlovu and Nomsa Mudau trial
Image: Naledi Shange
A man allegedly hired by Rosemary Ndlovu's friend and colleague Nomsa Mudau to kill Mudau's husband on Monday told the Kempton Park regional court that though he agreed to carry out the killing he was not planning to do so.
Njabulo Vincent Kunene said: “I agreed to the killing, but I do not live off blood money.” He and his friend, Jabulani Mtshali, had no intention of heeding Mudau's request.
Kunene, who has been under witness protection for years because of this case, took the stand on the first day of the trial of Ndlovu and Mudau to testify about events that unfolded in February 2018.
'She asked us to kill her husband': Ex-cop Nomsa Mudau on trial with serial killer Rosemary Ndlovu
He said he met Mudau through his friend Mtshali.
She allegedly promised them R80,000 to kill her husband Justice Mudau.
“She said she didn't have money to pay us then. She said she could offer us R500 for petrol, but once we had done the job she would give us R80,000. She said she was expecting about R3m in insurance claims,” Kunene said.
Pressed for further details by Mudau's lawyer, Kunene replied: “I wouldn't know the price of killing a person because I do not kill people. We didn't ask for a deposit, because what's a deposit for taking a life?”
Kunene said he was stunned by the request from Nomsa Mudau, who was dressed in her full police uniform at the time. She was a police sergeant stationed at Norkem Park police station.
Her co-accused, Ndlovu, was a sergeant at Thembisa police station — a short distance away.
Ndlovu is a convicted serial killer who orchestrated the killings of six of her family members so she could cash in on insurance policies. She is alleged to have been the middleman between Mudau and the alleged hitmen.
PODCAST | Hunting Ndlovu: the capture and prosecution of Rosemary Ndlovu
Mtshali and Kunene testified in Ndlovu's trial in 2021 when they said she hired them to kill several of her family members. They never carried out these killings and instead helped police arrest her.
Ndlovu's arrest in March 2018 revealed a pattern of killings in which she stood to gain large sums of money from her relatives' death.
Recalling the events of February 23 2018, Kunene said Mtshali called him and informed him of a lady who wanted a job carried out for her. They met Mudau at Zniko Lounge in Thembisa, where they got into a white Nissan bakkie she was driving.
Kunene alleged Mudau spoke bluntly, asking them to kill her husband.
“She just said, ‘Please help me, My husband is troubling me. He is cheating on me.’”
Mudau, who was reportedly going to work that day on night shift, allegedly wanted her husband killed the next day — a Saturday.
Kunene said during that meeting they did not discuss how Mudau's husband would be killed but only that she would call them once he arrived home.
“She [couldn't confirm a time] because she said his times of returning home were no longer predictable. She said she'd call us when he returns.”
The call from Nomsa Mudau never came, but by then Kunene and Mtshali had hatched a plan to inform her husband of the plot to kill him.
On February 24 2018 they contacted a Venda-speaking man by the name of Musanda, who they asked to help in getting the message to Justice Mudau.
“We wanted Justice to understand we are not killers,” said Kunene
The next daythey went to the Mudau home. They had allegedly been given directions to the house by Nomsa Mudau, who told them they could identify the property by a black BMW parked outside.
They spoke to Justice Mudau and informed him of the plot.
“We made him aware we are there as [we] were hired to kill him. He was scared, but he tried to keep a brave face. We tried to convince him we were there in good faith,” said Kunene.
They reportedly showed the husband his wife's cellphone number on Mtshali's phone and informed him they knew he was no longer eating lunchboxes packed by her.
The lunchbox issue made Mudau believe their version was true as he confirmed he was no longer eating her food because he was suspicious of her, Kunene said.
Nomsa Mudau and Ndlovu have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court has heard Nomsa Mudau intends to deny ever meeting Kunene, a claim Kunene dismissed as ridiculous, saying “she is playing games”.
The case was adjourned to Tuesday.
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