A former employee of slain Glenwood guesthouse owner Jacqueline Needham testified before the Durban high court on Monday about the gruesome discovery of her employer on August 11 2022.
Needham, 69, was robbed and murdered at her guest house. Her body was found by employees in a vacant room, wrapped in a sheet.
The accused, who are being represented by Legal Aid South Africa, are Mzotelwa Manelisi Jali, 24, Mdumiseni Gumede, 21, Bernard Langa, 25, and Fana Bruce Nomfemfe, 51, They have pleaded not guilty to the murder.
Nomathemba Eugenia Hlongwa said after arriving at work at 6.45am, she had ventured into Needham’s bedroom and observed that something was amiss.
“When I looked at the wardrobe where the safe is, I could see it had been removed,” said Hlongwa.
At that moment, Hlongwa’s co-worker, known as Promise, was already at the property. “I told her that seemingly something had happened,” she said.
Promise had rung up the bell to inform Blue Security, which dispatched a security officer to the Glenwood property in less than 15 minutes.
“I informed him [security guard] that our employer was not around and her car was also not in the yard. I also told him that I had looked for her and she was not to be found,” said Hlongwa.
A puzzled Hlongwa then tried to seek more answers as to her employer’s whereabouts and realised the key to the property’s one-bedroom cottage was missing. She immediately set out to the cottage where she found the doors unlocked. After knocking without response, Hlongwa entered the room.
A tearful Hlongwa found Needham’s body lying in a bedroom. As she broke down during her testimony, judge Khosi Hadebe adjourned the trial for a few minutes for Hlongwa to compose herself.
“I screamed and cried and saw that her hands were tied. I could not get anywhere close. There were blood splatters on her,” said Hlongwa.
She then ventured outside and later realised there were police officers who were now at the property.
“It was about 10 of them. One of the officers was asking me questions and was writing down some of the answers I was giving. There was also Promise who was also being probed with questions from other police officers,” Hlongwa said.
She recalled how they were made to steer clear of the gruesome crime scene until Needham’s remains were removed by the forensics van.
She later went inside the property and was joined by Neddham’s equally distraught brother Oscar Swanlund, whom she knew as someone who lived in Port Shepstone.
Hlongwa would also later inform Swanlund of a list of his sister’s missing items.
Hlongwa also learnt that a white Kia Soul was recovered but had no knowledge of other items recovered. She also confirmed that her murdered employer was the mother of Michele, who lives abroad.
Asked if there were any guests booked in at the guesthouse on August 10, Hlongwa said there was a guest booked in a room upstairs and that the male guest had booked out a day later.
“He [guest] must have booked out as their car was no longer there,” said Needham.
Hlongwa confirmed knowing one of the accused, Langa, identifying him as an electrician.
The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday.
TimesLIVE
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