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HOW SISTER-IN-LAW PLANNED BUSINESSMAN’S MURDER - COPS

14/05/2024 08:11:00 Kwanele Dlamini

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MBABANE – Police investigations have revealed how the plan to kill Matsapha businessman and biker Sifiso Simelane was hatched, as well as the role players.

The investigation pointed to Bongiwe Nhlabatsi, who is the sister-in-law of Simelane’s fiancé, Mbali Mamba, as the alleged ringleader. Nhlabatsi is alleged to have wanted Simelane and Mamba dead after she was purportedly consumed with jealousy after a visit to their home at Bethany. Nhlabatsi is currently in custody and has applied for bail. Her bail application is opposed by the Crown. She is one of the accused persons who have been charged with the murder of Simelane, who was brutally killed on January 22, 2024. Simelane was believed to have been robbed by unknown people who slit his throat and dumped his body in a forest at Mahlanya on the night of his death.

Conceived

Detective Sergeant Ayanda Dlamini, who investigated the matter, narrated how the plan to kill Simelane was conceived allegedly by Nhlabatsi, who is married to a brother to the deceased’s fiancé, Mamba. The detective sergeant said Nhlabatsi paid a visit to Simelane’s house and became jealous when she saw the opulence Mamba and the businessman were enjoying and allegedly hatched a plan to kill the two of them. According to the investigator, early in January this year, Nhlabatsi became aware that Simelane, who was engaged to marry her sister-in-law, Mamba, was rich and that he kept money in a safe in his house at Bethany. Simelane shared the house with his fiancé, Mamba.

Ayanda told the court in the Crown’s opposing papers that Nhlabatsi also became aware that a lot of money could be found in Simelane’s bank accounts, as he was involved in the hospitality business, wherein he ran Matsapha Gallery Hotel. “She (Nhlabatsi) envied the lavish lifestyle that her sister-in-law (Mbali Mamba) was exposed to and she devised a plan to get the money from the deceased,” submitted Ayanda. He said on a certain date in January 2024, Simelane invited some members of the Mamba family to his home at Bethany for dinner to meet them before the official lobola ceremony. Simelane, according to Ayanda, wanted to get a feel of his future in-laws’ expectations regarding the lobola ceremony, which was scheduled for January 18, 2024.

Visited

Nhlabatsi was part of the Mamba delegation that visited the Simelane residence. “She had a good time at the deceased’s home and decided that she wanted part of the wealth of the Simelanes. She there and then started planning how she could get a share of what was enjoyed by her sister-in-law. “The applicant also got to know during the dinner that the bride price would be somewhere in the margin of a hundred thousand (E100 000) and that the money would be withdrawn a few days before January 18, 2024, which was the day scheduled for the lobola ceremony at the Mamba homestead. “The appellant then planned that the deceased should be robbed and killed together with his fiancé before the bride price is paid,” submitted the investigator.

Ayanda submitted that Nhlabatsi allegedly started looking for people to assist her in committing the offences. She is alleged to have first approached one of the accused, Selby S’gaga Dlamini at Malkerns and told him about the plan to rob and kill Simelane and his fiancé, to take their money and other valuables. Ayanda informed the court that Selby allegedly agreed and indicated that he would, however, need other people to be involved for the deal to materialise. Nhlabatsi, according to Ayanda, approached one of her friends (name deliberately withheld) whom she knew was in desperate need of money. She is alleged to have told the friend in question about the plan to rob and kill Simelane and his fiancé to have access to their money and propeties.

“She told the friend that she already had one person for the job (Selby S’gaga Dlamini) and she (friend) also had to get another person who would work with the accused so that she could get the money that she needed to settle her debts after the commission of the offences. “The applicant’s friend also agreed to look for the people who were going to participate in the commission of the offences and she made a call to one Njabulo Magagula (who is still at large) who agreed to meet her and the applicant at Ezulwini.

“The applicant’s friend then introduced Njabulo to the applicant and the applicant proceeded to explain their mission, wherein Njabulo agreed with them and informed them that he was the right person for the job, as he needed money as well. Njabulo indicated that he would look for a few more guys to beef up the team so that the job can be done well. The applicant insisted that this should happen before January 18, 2024 so that they could get a lot of money,” narrated the investigator.

Informed

On the following day, according to Ayanda, the applicant, Nhlabatsi, allegedly called her friend and informed her to tell Njabulo to bring his team to Matsapha so that she (Nhlabatsi) could explain the job to them beforehand. “Njabulo came with three more boys, they met and discussed the plan and the applicant then took the four men to show them the deceased’s home at Bethany. “Another meeting between the accused and Njabulo was arranged and they met and agreed to do the job on the next Friday. “The following week the applicant again went to meet Njabulo to finalise the logistics and left. On the Friday, the day planned for the commission of the offence, Njabulo was called but he did not pick his phone, the plan was then aborted.

“Njabulo resurfaced on Sunday and made excuses about his unavailability on Friday and he suggested that they continue with the plan on Monday and all concerned should be informed,” the investigator narrated. He said on January 22, 2024, Njabulo allegedly arranged that they should all meet at Mahhala around 7pm to fine tune the plan. “The boys then left for execution while the ladies were excused. On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, the news broke that the deceased had been kidnapped and money had been stolen at his home.” Njabulo, according to the investigator, confessed that all they did was as per Nhlabatsi’s orders or instructions.

“The applicant, as the closest relative, was informed about what had befallen the Simelanes and she pretended to be shocked as everyone else. “In the morning, she went to the deceased’s home to offer support to her sister-in-law. She got to know that the deceased was found dead at Malkerns and also that his BMW car, which had a tracker, had also been stolen and she informed her friend and told her to warn the fifth accused that the car had a tracker and, therefore, they would be caught.” Nhlabatsi, according to the investigator, could not make that call since she was in the company of police officers, who had begun their investigations. The matter is pending in court. The Crown is represented by Principal Crown Counsel Lomkhosi Dlamini.