The Sunday Mail
THE South African Hawks have arrested a KwaZulu-Natal woman for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill her husband.
Capt Simphiwe Mhlongo, Hawks spokesperson in the province, said 39-year-old Mbalenhle Xaba was arrested recently for conspiracy to commit murder and fraud.
“Members received information about a wife who hired a hitman to kill her husband in the Estcourt area. It is alleged that the couple was in the process of filing divorce papers.
“In November 2020, Xaba allegedly bought a motor vehicle and handed it over to the hired hitman as payment. The said hitman did not execute the hit. As a result, Xaba demanded the vehicle back in order to give it to another hitman.
“The matter was reported to the Hawks and an intensive investigation was conducted. Xaba was then arrested and charged accordingly.”
She appeared in the Estcourt magistrate’s court on Wednesday and was remanded.
Human finger in burger
Imagine the horror on suddenly chewing on something unfamiliar while tucking into your favourite burger at a fast-food outlet – only to discover it is a severed human finger.
Then, while still in shock, observing the outlet carrying on serving customers like nothing had happened after they had been alerted to the gruesome discovery.
This happened to Estefany Benitez at a Hot Burger outlet in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia last Sunday.
She posted images of the rotting
finger on Facebook along with videos of her waiting to speak to a company representative at one of her favourite fast-food chains.
Later, a Hot Burger spokesperson called the matter an “unfortunate incident” and explained that a worker in the factory where the burger was prepared had lost part of his index finger while preparing the meat.
They also claimed that “nothing like this has ever happened to us before”.
However, the authorities investigating the case of a “rotting” human finger found in a hamburger say that a worker had lost two fingers in the industrial accident – and they cannot trace the second finger.
Subsequently, the vice minister for the Defence of User and Consumer Rights decided to temporarily close the branch and impose a fine on the company.
Benitez says in one video: “Here we are at the magnificent Hot Burger where a finger ended up in my burger. I will post a photo of the finger right away.”
According to Benitez, a store representative had offered to close the restaurant while she was still there, but then “carried on serving customers like nothing had happened’’.
‘Serial killer’ cop was generous towards colleagues
The former South African policewoman on trial for allegedly murdering and plotting to kill relatives to cash out on life insurance policies has been described by former colleagues as a regular gambler who often bought them lunch.
Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu, who is facing six charges of murder, and others including fraud and attempted murder, was apparently “very moneyed and generous” to her colleagues at the Tembisa South Police Station on the East Rand.
Two of Ndlovu’s former colleagues, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, said she often came to everyone’s rescue, especially when most of them were broke.
Ndlovu (46) has been behind bars for more than two years following her arrest in 2018.
In the trial, the state had now lined up more than 30 witnesses who testified against her in the High Court in Johannesburg sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court.
The state closed its case recently and the court is now hearing the defense’s testimony which started with Ndlovu on the stand on Tuesday.
Ndlovu is accused of killing six relatives, including her lover, and plotting to murder her sister, nieces, nephews and mother to cash in on life insurance policies.
Among those she is accused of killing is her partner Yingwani Maurice Mabasa, with whom she had a child.
Mabasa died in October 2015 after the third attempt on his life.
He was stabbed more than 80 times.
The former colleagues said Ndlovu had been at the station since it was opened in 2014.
They said she often splurged on as many as five colleagues on lunch at a go without even expecting the money back.
“She would buy everyone here lunch when we are broke, she was close to all of us,” an officer said.
“To be honest with you, she had lots of money and was generous with it on everyone,” another colleague said, adding Ndlovu also dished out loans to broke workmates.
Ndlovu was described as an ordinary woman who ate mala mogodu (tripe) and got along with everyone at work.
“She was an ordinary woman who we all liked and didn’t show any signs of anything strange happening in her life,” one of the colleagues said.
She said Ndlovu, who she referred to as MaNdlovu, was often stressed and unhappy during the few occasions she was broke.
“She would mention it first thing in the morning after getting to work and say, ‘you know I am broke today,’” she said.
They said Ndlovu often went to Emperors Palace in Kempton Park to gamble.
The officers said she has mentioned to them that she lost her first husband who was killed and most recently met her new lover, who they also described as “her husband”, who was also killed.
“We now realise that it’s strange that she lost both her husbands
who were both murdered,” a cop
said.
The colleague who saw Ndlovu’s docket said she could not believe the cases and the evidence that the state had put together against her.
Ndlovu who is facing a string of cases, including six murders of: Witness Madala Homu (cousin) who was murdered in March 2012. She allegedly got R131 000 from policies; Audrey Somisa Ndlovu (sister) who was killed in June 2013.
Ndlovu allegedly cashed out more than R717 000 in insurance.
The other cases involve Mabasa (boyfriend). She allegedly claimed R416 000 from insurance companies; Zanele Motha (niece) who was killed in June 2016.
She apparently cashed out about R120 000; Mayeni Mashaba (nephew) who died in April 2017.
There was no information immediately available on whether she had taken out policies on him and whether she had put in claims.
She is also alleged to have killed Audrey’s son, Brilliant Mashego (nephew), in 2018.
There was no information immediately available on whether she had taken out policies on him and whether she had put in claims. — Wires.
