Boss's sex romp proved deadly

2005-08-04 08:52

Sharika Regchand

Pietermaritzburg - A Kokstad man, who was so enraged at finding his wife half-naked in her boss's bedroom that he killed them both, will now spend the next 12 years behind bars.

Mpho Daniel Koloko, 37, pleaded guilty in Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday to the killings.

He said that when he arrived home at 22:00 on July 9 his children told him that his wife, Joyce, had gone into town to search for a blanket that she had lost.

In town, she got into a vehicle belonging to her boss, Johan Nothnagel.

Koloko decided to go to Nothnagel's farm. When he got there, he shouted for Nothnagel, who came out 30 minutes later, and invited him inside.

As Koloko asked Nothnagel where his wife was, he walked through the house, looking first into the children's bedrooms.

"When I arrived in Nothnagel's bedroom, I noticed that there were two pillows and a blanket on his bed - Nothnagel continued to remain silent," said Koloko.

Assaulted his wife, her boss

He found his wife hiding at the side of the bed wearing a slip and a T-shirt, but no panties.

"I realised and believed Joyce and Nothnagel were involved in a sexual relationship," he said.

Koloko said he punched, slapped and kicked Joyce, who first remained silent and then denied having a relationship with Nothnagel, which angered him.

He turned to Nothnagel and began assaulting him.

"I questioned him about his relationship with Joyce. Nothnagel told me that he did have sex with Joyce and that it was the first time - the answer to my question fuelled my anger," he said.

Koloko told Nothnagel he was going to report their actions to police and wanted a rope to tie them up. Nothnagel brought the rope.

After he tied them, he assaulted Joyce again and asked again about the relationship, but she just cried.

Koloko said he picked up a knife in the kitchen, stabbed Joyce and then stabbed Nothnagel.

Judge Shyam Gyanda agreed with defence attorney Preggie Marimuthu that it was a crime of passion and there were substantial and compelling reasons to pass a sentence of less than 15 years.

- The Witness