Mr. Cele|Published
She has revealed new evidence that she did not reveal in the sworn statement of confession, Nontgebofa Faith Ntombela, in the case of the murder of her husband, who was a police officer in the Durban Council, Captain Zwelakhe Thomas Ntombela.
It will be remembered that the deceased was shot and killed in an incident that took place at his home, in S, Mlaza, on May 3, 2024. He was rushed to Siphingo Medical Towers Hospital, where he arrived.
After that, Faith, the principal of Mpumulwane Primary KwaMaphumulo, Mr. Sithembiso Khumalo, were called by Gonyela’s Songo for this case. Faith is serving a life sentence for this crime, Khumalo is out on bail. The name of the bull who is already serving a life sentence for another crime, Khulani Cele, appeared.
At the Durban High Court, it was the first time that Faith entered the box and testified. He revealed that it all started when he had contact with Cele, who lied that he was the chief executive of the African National Congress (ANC), Mr. Siboniso Duma.
He told the court that they used to talk to Cele on social media, not knowing that he was talking to a bull who is serving a life sentence.
”One day, he told me that I had to go to prison and someone asked me to go check on him.
He said he did that and went to the prison in Pietermaritzburg, the New Prison, but he said all the prisoners were called until he was left alone because he did not know the full name of the person he was going to see as he had been told that it was K Cele.
Continuing, he said that the prison staff helped him and told him that Cele is Khulani.
”They let me in, then they called Cele and he came to me. He came and called me by my name, and I agreed and he asked me about my health,” he explained.
After that, he said that’s when Cele realized that it was actually Duma who he had been communicating with all this time on the social media platform.
”That scared me, but after he told me about all the talk we had, I realized that he was the real person.”
When he went back, he said he continued to have contact with “Duma” but knowing full well that he was Cele. There was a time when he asked for water crying out of thirst, he got it and he was seen smiling.
He first testified in Zulu, later on, he ended up speaking in English. When asked by the Prosecutor, Advocate Krishen Shah, where did the plot to impeach her husband start, she replied: ”It started as just a question that I answered without realizing it. Cele asked me what would I choose if my children or my husband were killed? I replied that I would prefer my children to be alive.”
He said Cele then replied that that is what will happen. ”When I asked him why it would happen, he told me that my husband is not as holy as I think.”
She also revealed that Cele told her that her husband was in a serious arms business. ”I didn’t believe that when he told me, but he told me that my husband’s safe is full of bullets, he can come and check.”
Of course, he said he did that, and he found exactly what Cele said. In court, photos of the bullets in question were shown, and he was asked if they were the ones, and he agreed.
“This scared me because I knew it was not allowed in his job.”
She told the court that her husband had three guns that were not for work and one that belonged to him which he said was always there in the safe. When asked what was the principal’s role in this plot, she said that there was an initial plan for her husband to be killed by poison but she said that did not happen because she was reluctant to do it.
He revealed that Cele told him that he would get the poison to be used from Khumalo KwaMaphumulo, even though he said he went to Khumalo and brought back the poison.
He said he didn’t use it, instead he just thought he had to kill himself, which led to him ending up in the hospital. Continuing, he said that the poison plan had been learned, and then it was planned to kill him by shooting him.
”There was a time when Khumalo came to me to check my husband’s guns to see if they were in good condition to work. He brought them back after looking at them.”
When asked what caused her to simply agree that her husband was killed without any valid reason, she said that she was finally tempted because there were also threats that her children would be harmed.
She also revealed that Khumalo was the one who repaired her husband’s cars, as on the day they met at the Mega City shopping center in Mlaza, it was because Khumalo was going to pick up a black Suzuki car to repair it. This is another piece of evidence that was not brought to trial and when Faith pleaded guilty, that the deceased also knew Khumalo because he had a place repairing cars.
Regarding the payment of R150 000 that was to be given to the ox, Mzo Ntombela, who is serving a 20-year sentence for this case, said he had no knowledge of it, which contradicts the sworn statement in which he admitted to the crime as there is one where he said: “It was agreed that the ox would be given R150 000.”
Khumalo’s lawyer, Advocate Mdu Mvune, asked Faith why he said he did not know anything about the payment now that in the statement he mentioned the issue of R150 000.
”I brought it up because I knew about it after my husband was killed but before that I didn’t know anything,” explained Faith.
Advocate Shah asked him if there was anything he would like to say to the family of the deceased as he is in court, he replied that there is a lot but said he would say it at the right time.
Although Faith said that she first questioned the plot to impeach her husband, but there was a point in the court where she revealed that her husband was abusing her, that’s why she came to this decision.