Domestic on trial for employer’s murder
A domestic worker and her boyfriend are currently on trial in Durban for allegedly masterminding her employer's murder.
|||Durban - The family of a Chatsworth woman murdered in a house robbery allegedly orchestrated by her domestic worker, filled the gallery of the Durban High Court on Thursday.
Kalawathie Sewcharan’s domestic worker, Limakatso Cristina Mokulubete, and Mokulubete’s boyfriend, Zamokuhle Ndlovu, are on trial for her murder.
The men and women in the gallery wore red and black T-shirts, emblazoned with pictures of Sewcharan and the words, “Justice for our Mother”.Almost a year-and-a-half ago, Sewcharan was killed during a violent home invasion.
According to media reports at the time, 60-year-old Sewcharan was a prominent member of her community and traded regularly at a local market.
It was alleged she was accosted by four armed robbers. It was believed at the time that she had suffered a fatal heart attack during the robbery. The post-mortem results, however, showed the cause of death to be “blunt chest trauma”.
In addition to the murder charges, Mokulubete and Ndlovu face charges of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Thirty-year-old Mokulubete, of Lesotho, cut a slight figure in the dock on Thursday She listened intently as the charges she faces were read out.
Ndlovu, 27, sat to her extreme left, looking at the floor.
They both pleaded not guilty.
According to the indictment, Mokulubete was employed by Sewcharan as a “domestic helper”.
The State alleges that on the day of the murder, Ndlovu “and other persons” stormed Sewcharan’s Bayview home and accosted another woman – Ncamisile Chiliza – who was also employed by Sewcharan as a helper.
They allegedly gagged and bound Chiliza. It is also alleged they gagged Sewcharan and hit her with a blunt object before raiding the house and fleeing with a cellphone, R40 000 cash and several pieces of jewellery.
The State alleges that in the days leading up to the incident, Mokulubete and Ndlovu conspired to rob Sewcharan.
The State called Chiliza as its first witness on Thursday.
The soft-spoken woman told the court she had worked for Sewcharan, cleaning her house and helping her to sell samoosas at a local market.
She explained how she had a piece of cloth stuffed in her mouth and was tied up while Sewcharan was murdered and the house looted.
She said she was drunk at the time and passed out. When she came to, she made her way into the street and found help.
The trial continues.
bernadette.wolhuter@inl.co.za
Daily News
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