Durban - A woman murdered two 10-year-old Clairwood boys was given two life sentences by the Durban High Court on Wednesday.
Liziwe Ngwayishe, 35, showed no emotion when When Judge Ploos van Amstel sentenced her for her part in the Luyanda Msomi and Njabulo Mankayi in November 2017
It was this expressionless face that Van Amstel referred to when he read out the sentence earlier saying she had shown no remorse for the murders
Ngwayishe's co-accused Amahle Maliwa,28, pleaded guilty to the charges and was given a double life sentence for the murder of the children.
Maliwa had been in a relationship with Njabulo's father, Thandazani, but he had broken off the relationship in October 2017. In her guilty plea, she said that she had killed the children to make him feel pain after he had broken off the relationship with her.
“The accused has been found guilty of two horrific murders,” he said. Van Amstel also pointed out that Ngwayishe did not know the children herself but was just helping out Mawila to get back at her ex-boyfriend.
He sentenced her to two life sentences which would be served concurrently.
Meanwhile, the father of one of the boys said his family can finally begin the process of healing now that the court proceedings had come to an end.
Van Amstel said the evidence presented to him had established beyond a reasonable doubt that Ngwayishe had acted in common purpose with Amahle Maliwa when they killed Njabulo Mankayi and Luyanda Msomi in November 2017.
In his judgment, Judge Ploos van Amstel referred to the evidence given by Maliwa on how the two women killed the boys.
“I do not believe for a moment that Maliwa killed the two boys on her own, and, after she had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, falsely implicated the accused (Ngwayishe). She could gain nothing from doing that.”
Judge Ploos van Amstel said the two women had walked more than a kilometre while discussing the matter, showing the murders were premeditated.
On November 9, Maliwa went to Njabulo’s school and told him to go and play at a sports field near her home in a Clairwood informal settlement. Maliwa had testified that it was not her intention to harm Njabulo, but she wanted to get his father’s attention for them to reconcile.
Quoting Maliwa’s evidence, Judge Ploos van Amstel said Ngwayishe instead suggested that they kill Njabulo because Mankayi had used her for a long time.
“The accused suggested they poison him with the medication Maliwa was using to treat her shingles. Maliwa had bought the substance, which is toxic if swallowed, from a pharmacy days earlier.”
Njabulo was forced to swallow the substance. He collapsed and was dragged to a nearby canal, which he was thrown into. His body was later found by police.
Judge Ploos van Amstel said Maliwa had also testified that the two women had discussed that Luyanda could implicate them in Njabulo’s disappearance and so he also needed to die. He was walked to a railway station where they used a shirt he was carrying to strangle him. Maliwa forced the medication into his mouth and he, too, collapsed. Ngwayishe then sat on him until he was quiet, the judge said. Njabulo’s body was found two days later.
After her arrest, Maliwa had pleaded guilty in the high court. Ngwayishe had pleaded not guilty and stood trial.
“The accused is found guilty as charged of murder on each of counts, one and two,” the judge said.
Mankayi expressed happiness at the judgment and said he and his family would now heal. Mankayi said he had always believed a guilty verdict would be pronounced. He said he could not forgive Maliwa.
It is expected that Ngwayishe will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Daily News