NATIONAL NEWS - Lungile Qoza and Ntombikayise Khambule were sentenced to life and 20 years imprisonment at the Umlazi Regional Court for the murder of Mohammed Salajee (81) in the Engonyameni area in Umlazi.
In a statement, the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), said Qoza worked for Salajee, who was from Chatsworth.
NPA regional spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said on the day of the incident, Salajee left his home with R150 000, intended to pay for a property he planned to purchase.
“Qoza knew about this, and she colluded with Khambule and a hitman, to rob him of the money. They robbed him of the money, and put him into the trunk of his car, with his feet and hands tightened with shoelaces. They drove to Umlazi, where the vehicle stalled on a gravel road. The hitman then shot Salajee twice in the face before they all fled on foot,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
She said Khambule was arrested three months later after the police found her in possession of Salajee’s ID book. Qoza was subsequently arrested, while the hitman died a month after the incident.
“In court, Regional Court Prosecutor Chantal Bisumber used the evidence from an ID parade to place the women at the scene of the crime. Bisumber also handed in a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by Salajee’s daughter, and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Thuli Sontsele,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The daughter’s statement described her father as a kind and generous person. She said that she missed him and that she could not come to terms with the gruesome way in which he died.
The women were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years imprisonment for robbery and five years imprisonment for kidnapping.
They will serve an effective term of life imprisonment.
