Everson Luhanga
The court heard evidence on Monday that Rosemary Ndlovu made phone calls to two alleged hitmen, in an eventful day of proceedings in the case against the accused mass-murderer.
Proceedings commenced soon after 10am with a large media presence, who were there to update a captivated South African public.
The state advocate kicked the show off at Johannesburg High Court by putting questions to the accused on the testimonies given by witnesses since the trial began, over three months ago.
Wrapped in a black shawl, Ndlovu seemed alert and pumped up as she took questions from state advocate Riana Williams, a marked difference from last week when she was ill, forcing the court to adjourn.
Ndlovu was questioned about the death of her sister, Audrey Somisa Ndlovu, in June 2013.
She was also questioned about the numerous phone calls she made to the two hitmen, Lakhiwe Mkhize and Njabulo Kunene, with whom she is alleged to have conspired to kill members of her family.
Ndlovu again told the court that the phone calls she made to one of the alleged hitmen was to arrange dates for him and his sister to go to Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga to see an inyanga.
“I was not calling the man to conspire to murder my family members, but to set up a date to take them to an inyanga in Mpumalanga,” she said in Xitsonga.
Ndlovu also told the court that she went to Bushbuckridge on 22 January 2018 to sort out issues she had with her Old Mutual loan.
According to evidence put before the court, Ndlovu’s nephew, Brilliant Mashego, was found dead not far from where Ndlovu dropped him off in January 2016.
The court heard that Brilliant was covered by three funeral policies by Ndlovu, which falsely named him as her son.
At the lunch break, Scrolla.Africa team spoke to Ndlovu, who maintains her innocence in every single one of the charges put against her by the court.
Ndlovu will be back in court on 14 October 2021 for arguments.
