A KwaZulu-Natal woman and her lover who planned the murder of her stepson, fuelled by jealousy, has been sentenced to life behind bars.
Lizzy Khethiwe Zondi, 52, and her lover Wilmot Celimpilo Shabangu, 62, were convicted and sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg High Court for the murder of traditional leader Mzomuhle Zondi.
Zondi, 24, was killed in November 2021.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), before the incident, Khethiwe was married to Mzomuhle’s father, known as Chief Zondi.
They lived in the Mpotholo area, near Babanango.
“Following the Chief’s death, she (Khethiwe) was appointed as regent for the Zondi tribe,” said NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
“Since she was romantically involved with her co-accused, Shabangu, she appointed him as an Induna to serve under her.
“However, due to her improper behaviour, the members of the tribe consulted with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), and she was demoted.”
Mzomuhle was appointed as the new regent.
“This angered Khethiwe and Shabangu, and they conspired to kill Zondi, enlisting the assistance of a hitman known as ‘Mkhize’.”
The NPA said on the evening on November 10, 2021, they went to one of the buildings in the royal house where they shot and killed Zondi.
“Thereafter, they went into hiding, and while Khethiwe and Shabangu were arrested a month later in the Msinga area, ‘Mkhize’ still remains at large.”
The NPA said upon her arrest, Khethiwe pleaded guilty to her stepson’s murder and thereafter retracted her statement, which led to a ‘trial-within-a trial’.
The NPA welcomed the sentence.
IOL News