A KwaZulu-Natal woman who allegedly wanted her boyfriend’s side-chick dead has been arrested.
The murder plot by the 30-year-old along with four suspected hitmen resulted in the death of 63-year-old Khombisile Zuma, the mother of the intended victim.
The group appeared before the Estcourt magistrate’s court on Thursday where the matter was postponed to October 10 for the accused to get legal representation.
According to police, the suspect travelled with four men to Ntabamhlophe where the hit was to be carried out.
However, the suspects mistakenly shot the mother of the intended victim who was declared dead on the scene.
“The woman claimed to have asked for a lift from the four men, however, preliminary investigations confirmed that she was the owner of the vehicle,” said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
“All five suspects were arrested and one of them had blood stains on his clothing.”
Netshiunda said the police were alerted of the incident and intercepted the getaway vehicle near the Mooi River Toll Plaza.
One of the suspects, said Netshiunda, had already been identified as a hitman who had been on the police’s list of wanted suspects in connection with other murder cases.
A firearm with three rounds of ammunition was found in possession of the suspects.
According to the Institute of Security Studies, South Africa has the second-highest murder rate in the world.
More than 27 000 people were murdered from April 2022 to March 2023.
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