The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has sentenced a cheating married woman from Soshanguve in Tshwane, her 62-year-old boyfriend and a community policing forum (CPF) member - who was on probation for rape - for the premeditated murder of the woman’s husband.
Farai Ndebele was shot dead after his wife of 25 years, Marriod Ndebele, and her lover, Tlowaye Monyai, ordered a hit on him and staged a robbery, by removing some of his personal belongings from the house. The Ndebeles had two children during their 25 years of marriage.
Ndebele was shot dead by Soshanguve CPF member Tshepo Frans Kekana, 40, and Monyai’s grandson, 24-year-old Piet Monyai.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said all three were handed life sentences for the contract killing.
The wife, Marriod, was further sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm, five years for possession of unlawful ammunition, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances and an additional three years for defeating the administration of justice.
The shooter, Kekana, was additionally sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearm, five years for unlawful possession of ammunition, as well as 25 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Mahanjana said it was established that the wife, Marriod, was in a relationship with Monyai, who assisted in executing the hit.
“Marriod was also involved in a love relationship with Monyai. On June 14, 2019, Marriod Ndebele arranged with her boyfriend’s grandson Koketso Piet Monyai, 24, who is already sentenced in this matter, and Kekana to kill her husband,” said Mahanjana.
The boyfriend’s grandson took Marriod to his friend Ndivhuwo John Tshiwela, to request a firearm, and the woman paid R750 - money she had received from her 62-year-old boyfriend Monyai.
Four days later, a staged robbery took place at the Ndebele household and the husband was shot dead.
“The boyfriend drove Koketso Piet Monyai and Kekana to the Ndebeles house, where they shot and killed the husband, Farai.
“Thereafter, Marriod instructed them to take some of her husband’s belongings to stage a robbery,” said Mahanjana.
After the assailants had left, Marriod reported the matter to the police. The “grieving” widow told police that she did not know the killers.
Mahanjana said police investigations led to the wife’s arrest just four days later. Monyai and Kekana were arrested two days after Marriod’s arrest.
In court, the accused all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“However, Kekana pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances,” according to the NPA.
After the conviction, the killers requested the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence for the charge of murder.
“Through his attorney, the boyfriend (Monyai) asked the court to consider his age when imposing the sentence.
“However, the prosecutor, advocate Ronnie Sibanda, told the court that there was no justification for Marriod to kill her husband, and that she was motivated by the jealousy of her boyfriend,” said Mahanjana.
Sibanda also told the court that Monyai was the mastermind behind the killing. The prosecutor said the 62-year-old planned the crime, brought all the participants together and fetched the assailants after the gruesome murder.
The court also heard that Kekana, a member of the Soshanguve CPF, was not a first-time offender.
“He committed the offence while out of prison, on probation after he was convicted and sentenced for rape and robbery. Therefore, he (the prosecutor) asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence,” said Mahanjana.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Portia Phahlane highlighted that everyone in South Africa has the right to life, and the courts have a mandate to protect that right.
The court noted that Farai Ndebele was killed because his wife Marriod was “blinded by love”.
The judge agreed with the State, and found that the three showed no remorse for their actions. She also found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, and sentenced the trio.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, Sibongile Mzinyathi has welcomed the sentencing of the trio, and he applauded the work of the investigating officer, Sergeant Peter Mafako Madau which enabled the NPA to secure a conviction and the sentence.
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