The daughter of slain Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) engineering lecturer Chanlall “Shan” Dwarika says transactions on her father's bank account including a R3,000 e-wallet to a suspect raised alarm bells about his whereabouts.
Ayuush Dwarika Rajbansi was testifying in the Durban high court on Wednesday during the trial of four men in connection with the disappearance of her 62-year-old father on May 28 from his Sea Cow Lake property. He was found dead six days later.
Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, 35, Thobani Mhlongo, 23, Kwanele Makhaye, 29, and Sihle Mkhize, 23, face kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder charges.
Rajbansi, who is based in Johannesburg and had access to her father's FNB cheque account, told senior state advocate Krishen Shah there were a number of transactions which made her suspicious on the day he went missing.
“Three other transactions related to purchases made at a tavern,” said Rajbansi.
She called her mom and contacted an aunt in Asheville to find out about his whereabouts and found he was not with them.
“I put out a flyer on WhatsApp and Facebook and contacted [security company] Reaction Unit SA [Rusa],” said Rajbansi.
She notified her manager about her father going missing. “I was given time off work and my brother and I drove to Durban. On the way we received information from a neighbour who told us she had seen my dad with three men.”
Rajbansi said they asked for footage from the neighbour, which they sent to the security company. A clip of the video footage of Dwarika being kidnapped from his Sea Cow Lake property was screened in court. In the video the lecturer is seen being bundled into a vehicle. Three men are with him but their faces are not clearly visible in the dark.
Rajbansi said her father planned to sell the property because of theft and burglary.
Dwarika's wife Janitha (also known as Camy) also testified, saying her husband neither smoked nor drank and she was puzzled by his disappearance.
“Apart from going to the rental properties, my husband was often at gym in Cornubia. I would send food such a bread, polony and sometimes curry to the people my husband used to call his boys,” said Janitha.
Mhlongo, who pleaded guilty to the robbery, kidnapping and murder charges, said Dwarika was his employer for more than a year. Part of his duties was to safeguard the Sea Cow Lake property and assist with renovations. He also drove Dwarika’s vehicles to transport building materials as he had a licence.
His co-accused Mahaye and Makhaye had the same duties, except for driving. He said Makhaye had worked with them for only a month.
Mhlongo said he was injured in May while using an angle grinder and informed Dwarika about the incident. Dwarika owed him his wages for a year but had agreed to pay him R10,000. Mhlongo said he believed Dwarika had not paid him in full because he sometimes supplied them with food.
He said on May 28 Dwarika called him about 11am and told him he wanted to install a burglar gate at the Sea Cow Lake property. At the time of the call, Mhlongo was drinking with Mahaye and Makhaye at the property but agreed to meeting Dwarika at a nearby tuck shop. There he confronted Dwarika about his outstanding wages, adding he was injured and yet still expected to work.
Dwarika told him he would get his bank cards and make the payment — but only once they completed the work. However, this angered Mhlongo who felt Dwarika often made such empty promises and he challenged him.
He said Dwarika told him he had R22,000 in his bank account and he would pay them. Makhaye then suggested they take Dwarika to the nearest ATM to withdraw the money, which led to them bundling him into the back seat of his Honda SUV.
Mhlongo said he and Mahaye then argued about who would drive and the latter won. They drove to an ATM and Mahaye was tasked with withdrawing cash using the bank card and a pin supplied by Dwarika.
He said Dwarika informed them of a bank notification of a R3,000 withdrawal made on the card. Mahaye didn’t return to the car. They then decided to leave and Makhaye insisted on fetching a friend, Mkhize, from Puntans Hill, whom Mhlongo didn’t know.
Dwarika told them there was another card in his wife’s name at his residence in Verulam and he would let his wife know he was going to fetch the card. However, they realised he had used this as a ruse and had instead sent an emergency message to Rusa, informing them he had been hijacked and was being kidnapped and robbed.
Mhlongo said the three were angered by this and Makhaye drove to Inanda where it was decided to kill him. Makhaye pulled out a gun and he and Mkhize held Dwarika down while Mhlongo slit his throat with a knife. Makhaye and Mkhize then hid the body.
Makhaye only pleaded guilty to the kidnapping charge. In his affidavit he said was approached by Mahaye to live with him at Dwarika’s property and they attempted to get their wages from Dwarika on May 28.
When they met Dwarika, Mahaye and Mhlongo demanded he get into the vehicle with them and he drove the car. He said when they got to Verulam he told Mkhize and Mhlongo he was fed up with driving and no longer wanted to be part of the group.
Makhaye said when they got to Mjaphane in Inanada, he left the car and went home. He said he realised his actions amounted to kidnapping and were unlawful.
Shah did not accept the pleas, citing inconsistencies with state evidence.
The trial is continuing.
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