Three in court for murder of woman in front of autistic son

Three Mdantsane men who allegedly brutally shot and killed a 61-year-old NU13 woman Nonkululeko Swartbooi inside her home in 2015, in front of her autistic 26-year-old son, Wola, this week appeared at the Bhisho High Court.

Additions to the murder trial charge sheet are that Luthando Kondile, 28, Hlumani Baleka, 20, and Lindokuhle Makaula, 19, are also accused of shooting to death Swartbooi’s other son, 23-year-old Libona “Jigga” Swartbooi.

This happened, according to the charge sheet, just moments before they attacked and killed Libona Swartbooi’s elderly mother.

They appeared on Tuesday before high court Judge Feziwe Rengqe to face eight counts, including two counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping and possession of a semi-automatic firearm.

The state’s case is that Libona was kidnapped between April 20-26 in 2015, taken to the NU15 soccer grounds, where he was tied up with shoelaces, before keys to his home were stolen. The gang returned later and killed him, according to the state.

On arrival at his home, it is the state’s case that they shot his mother Nonkululeko, in front of Wola, before they ransacked her house.

They made their escape with her white 2014 Nissan Almera, two plasma TVs, her gun, a home theatre system, a play station, a cellphone, and clothing items belonging to her and Libona.

There was no forced entry into the woman’s home and her neighbours thought it odd the garage door and gate were left wide open for days.

Nonkululeko’s body was discovered in her lounge with a bullet wound in her head, days after she had died, with her “helpless, shaken and traumatised” autistic son nearby.

Her body, which was starting to decompose, was discovered by neighbours who had been concerned that, for days, electricity in her house was not switched off.

Police had suspected that Libona might have had something to do with his mother’s killing as he was nowhere to be found.

The state has accused the suspects of shooting Nonkululeko in the head while she was in her lounge, went outside and loaded their loot in her car, before returning to the soccer grounds to kill off her son.

The incident, according to the state, took place between April 20-26 2015, with Swartbooi’s body discovered days after she had actually died.

It is not yet clear how the trio were implicated in the gruesome murders, but their accomplice Chuma Metele, is already serving an 18-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to the offences earlier this year.

On Tuesday the state called a number of witnesses to the stand, including the neighbour who discovered Nonkululeko’s body, her sister Neliswa and two forensic specialists from the SAPS who testified that Baleka was linked to the crime through his fingerprints which were lifted at the scene.

Neliswa testified that Swartbooi was killed in front of her older nephew who is autistic, and left with the body for four days. She found him unwashed, hungry and dehydrated.

Neliswa told court that her sister’s safe was wide open and her gun nowhere to be found when she arrived at the crime scene on the day of her body’s discovery.

Neighbour Phaphama Dyalom, who had been watering the lawn when he noticed that lights at the house were on for a number of days, told court he went and investigated only to find the kitchen door wide open and Nonkululeko Swartbooi lying on her lounge couch in a pool of dry blood.

Warrant Officer Derick Bhengu from the SAPS forensic unit in East London, told court that he had matched Baleka’s prints with the ones lifted from the scene.

Bhengu said he was certain that Baleka was indeed inside the crime scene as “no two people will have same finger and footprints”.

The three men, who all pleaded not guilty this week, were calm during the entire proceedings, going as far as to joke with state witnesses and court officials when court adjourned.

Metele, who was in court on Tuesday is expected to be called in by the state to testify against his alleged three accomplices.

The trio remain in custody and are expected back in court again this morning. — asandan@dispatch.co.za