Durban — Two people have been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for killing a pregnant woman.
They will join their accomplice who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said: “The Ladysmith Regional Court has sentenced Nokubonga Fortunate Dubazane, 40, and Mqapheli Emmerald Miya, 49, to 25 years behind bars for the murder of Hlengiwe Christina Ndaba, 34.”
“They will be joining their co-accused Nkosingiphile Morris Ngubane, 39, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on October 22, 2020, for murder.”
Ngcobo said that Ndaba’s body was found burnt beyond recognition inside her vehicle on July 22, 2020, at a forest in Emmaus, Winterton. The investigating officer worked around the clock to locate the next of kin of the deceased.
She said that during the investigation, it was revealed that Dubazane worked with the deceased, and on the day of the incident she brought her lunch which was laced with poison. When the deceased became weak she was taken to Miya’s house where she was strangled to death. Her body was then moved to the forest where it was set alight.
Ndaba’s post-mortem revealed that the recovered remains were of a woman who was eight months pregnant. DNA tests were conducted and revealed that the body was of Ndaba who was a teacher at a school in Amangwe.
“It was also discovered that Dubazane wanted to take Ndaba’s job since she was almost due for maternity leave. She believed that if she killed Ndaba she would get her job and become permanently employed in the position of the deceased,” Ngcobo said.
In October 2020, former police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the Estcourt Regional Court sentenced Ngubane to life imprisonment for murder.
On September 26, 2020, Ngubane was traced and arrested at Tembisa in Gauteng, where he was hiding.
Ngubane pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced.
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