Three men who were hired by a woman to kill her husband — a police officer — in a desperate move to inherit everything and cash in on life insurance have been sentenced.
Sthembiso Mbona, 27, Saziso Khambule, 27, and Nhlakanipho Ndovela, 25, were handed life sentences in the Scottburgh high court on Tuesday for killing Warrant Officer Thulani Ngwabe, 51.
Lt-Col Simphiwe Mhlongo of the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks said that on November 3 2019, Ngwabe’s body was found on railway lines near Port Shepstone beach with multiple stab wounds.
Mhlongo said Ngwane was stationed at the Margate family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit.
“A case of murder was reported at Port Shepstone police station and the case docket was allocated to Hawks members from Port Shepstone. Hawks members left no stone unturned in their investigation and they first arrested wife Nonkululeko Ngwabe, 48, in December 2019,” said Mhlongo. This led to the arrests of her accomplices whom she had hired to kill her husband. They were arrested in the Murchison area near Port Shepstone.
Ngwane’s wife was convicted and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg high court on June 7 2021.
The three pleaded not guilty and their trial continued until they were found guilty on Thursday.
Mhlongo said Mbona and Khambule were sentenced to life imprisonment each and Ndovela got 30 years.
He said the court denied them leave to appeal.
It is alleged that Ngwane was filing for a divorce at the time of his murder.
The couple had two children, a 12-year-old son and a daughter who died in 2017 aged eight.
Mhlongo said the motive for the murder was mainly that the wife wanted to inherit everything that Ngwane had worked for over the years, including the house, savings, cars and life insurance payout.
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Three men hired by wife to kill her cop husband get jail for life
Image: 123RF/Allan Swart
Three men who were hired by a woman to kill her husband — a police officer — in a desperate move to inherit everything and cash in on life insurance have been sentenced.
Sthembiso Mbona, 27, Saziso Khambule, 27, and Nhlakanipho Ndovela, 25, were handed life sentences in the Scottburgh high court on Tuesday for killing Warrant Officer Thulani Ngwabe, 51.
Lt-Col Simphiwe Mhlongo of the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks said that on November 3 2019, Ngwabe’s body was found on railway lines near Port Shepstone beach with multiple stab wounds.
Mhlongo said Ngwane was stationed at the Margate family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit.
“A case of murder was reported at Port Shepstone police station and the case docket was allocated to Hawks members from Port Shepstone. Hawks members left no stone unturned in their investigation and they first arrested wife Nonkululeko Ngwabe, 48, in December 2019,” said Mhlongo. This led to the arrests of her accomplices whom she had hired to kill her husband. They were arrested in the Murchison area near Port Shepstone.
Ngwane’s wife was convicted and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg high court on June 7 2021.
The three pleaded not guilty and their trial continued until they were found guilty on Thursday.
Mhlongo said Mbona and Khambule were sentenced to life imprisonment each and Ndovela got 30 years.
He said the court denied them leave to appeal.
It is alleged that Ngwane was filing for a divorce at the time of his murder.
The couple had two children, a 12-year-old son and a daughter who died in 2017 aged eight.
Mhlongo said the motive for the murder was mainly that the wife wanted to inherit everything that Ngwane had worked for over the years, including the house, savings, cars and life insurance payout.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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