Durban - TWO men were found guilty of murdering a Pinetown father and their accomplice.
In 2015, Nathi Sithole, Sabelo Patrick Zondi and three others entered Thaslem Iqbal’s home in Caversham Glen.
They held Thaslem, her two daughters, and her brother, Faisal Iqbal, at gunpoint.
They demanded the family lie on the floor, while they ransacked the home.
While the men were leaving with the family’s TV, cellphones, a laptop and jewellery, Iqbal, who was armed, shot at the suspects.
He injured one suspect, who died at the scene.
The other suspects returned fire and shot Iqbal in the chest and the abdomen. He later died in hospital.
Sithole and Zondi were arrested in 2016. They were each charged with two counts of murder and one of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
In a separate incident, one of the two accomplices was killed during a shootout with police.
Ivan Mbuso Dube, who turned State witness, was killed on the day he was expected to testify against Sithole and Zondi.
Handing down judgment at
the Pietermaritzburg High Court, Judge Hadebe said Dube’s statement, which was handed to the court as evidence by senior State prosecutor Kelvin Singh, was valuable to the case.
“The statement was important as it highlighted the route used by the men to get to the home.
“The statement confirms a lot of what the victim (Thaslem) testified on what took place at her home. It confirms that she tried to calm her children down.
The statement also tells the court how he was recruited to carry out this deed and assured by his co-accused that the housebreaking would be safe.”
Hadebe said Sithole and Zondi took the court on a wild goose chase during their testimonies.
She said they could not provide the details on the routes they
took to get to Pinetown, and they used each other as their witnesses that evening.
Hadebe added that the State’s evidence - mainly cellphone experts, DNA evidence and Tracker information - assisted with her decision.
“Thaslem testified confidently, despite the loss she suffered. She was able to tell the court exactly what happened on the night.
“Her evidence was also corroborated by Dube’s statement, and Tracker and cellphone evidence placed all accused at the scene.”
She added that the vehicle used by the accused was hired as early as May that year - meaning there was a purpose for the vehicle.
Hadebe said they were charged with killing their accomplice (who Faisel shot), as they acted in common purpose.
She said they should have
foreseen that there could have
been danger before entering the home.
Hadebe added that since the beginning of the case, the accused did not have a proper defence and found them guilty on all three charges.
Sentencing is expected next month.