The family of slain KwaDukuza municipality traffic officer Supt Desmond Arumugam, 50, who was killed while responding to a robbery and hijacking of a taxi filled with passengers in November last year has welcomed his killer’s conviction.
Durban high court judge Vikela Ntlokwana found Philakahle Hloniphani Dladla, 26, guilty of the murder of the police officer robbery with aggravating circumstances as well as possession of unlicensed firearm and amnunition.
Dladla, who was represented by Legal Aid, pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming he was at his Kranskop home at the time of the murder and robbery.
Arumugam’s older brother Buffy, 53, said: “Though this ruling will not bring my brother back, we believe justice has been served. We are hoping for the maximum sentence.”
He said the loss of his brother who was a father of three children has not been easy.
“It has been quite devastating because my brother was an anchor in the lives of his children, my mum, his siblings friends and colleagues.
“My brother’s death has had a horrible impact — his one son is here another son refuses to come because it’s too traumatic for him to even see the accused. They are in a state of despair as they lost everything and a father,” said Buffy.
Having sat through the trial which started on October 20, Buffy said his emotions ran high seeing his brother’s killer.
Dladla has also appeared in the Ntuzuma magistrate’ court on charges of rape and murder.
Ntlokwana began his judgment on Thursday, highlighting the evidence of 16 witnesses, and made his ruling on Friday.
He found the state to have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Dladla was guilty of the crime.
He said one integral witness was taxi driver Bheki Xulu who told court he didn’t know Dladla but remembered how he boarded the taxi and sat in the front seat next to him.
When the taxi stopped near the uMvoti bridge Dladla produced a gun, he said. Xulu gave Dladla R1,100 after he made demands.
Xulu later positively identified Dladla in an identity parade.
Like Xulu, passengers Nontokozo Shangase and Thembisile Zikhali provided their eye-witness accounts.
Shangase said Dladla had uttered profanities as he demanded belongings and money from the passengers from the front seat of the taxi while they were parked on Groutville offramp.
Shangase gave him her cellphone and R70 in cash. She also recalled Arumugam, who was driving a Toyota Fortuner, stopping to check on the taxi and Dladla opening fire on him.
After the shooting Dladla drove the taxi to the eThembeni area.
Sgt Thulani Nxumalo, who is attached to the Ulundi tactical reaction unit, testified how he and his colleague Sgt Zama Buthelezi had responded to a house in Melmoth where they located Dladla and later arrested him for Arumugam’s murder
Buthelezi received information from an informer about Dladla’s whereabouts. Nxumalo said they had searched the house at Melmoth and found nothing unlawful.
They then travelled to KwaMashu township where Dladla gave them a key to a shack near the hostel, in which they found the gun used in the shooting.
During the search Dladla had informed the police officers that he resided alone at the house and everything in it belonged to him.
Nxumalo located a black 9mm firearm with a magazine and another magazine. The serial number of the firearm was filed off.
The matter was adjourned to January 13 and 14 for sentencing.
TimesLIVE
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