The murderers of an elderly Ladysmith woman, Premanthi Sewgoolam (73), were sentenced to life and 80 years’ imprisonment respectively yesterday.
Xolani Bethuel Ndaba (28) and Siboniso Joseph Dlamini (21) attacked and stabbed Sewgoolam to death at her house in Mysore Road. The two men were also sentenced for the rape of a woman who was renting a room at Sewgoolam’s house.
According to police, Ndaba was found guilty on four counts of rape and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on each count.
He was also found guilty of two counts of aggravated robbery and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for each count. The magistrate sentenced Ndaba to life imprisonment for the murder of Sewgoolam.
Dlamini was sentenced to a total of 80 years in jail for his offences. He was convicted of four counts of rape and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count. He was also sentenced to five years for the two counts of aggravated robbery, plus seven years’ imprisonment for the second count. The sentences for the robbery are to run concurrently. Dlamini was sentenced to 18 years’ jail for the murder, of which 10 years are to run concurrently with the sentence for one count of rape.
Sewgoolam was killed on October 15, 2005. Police said Ndaba and Dlamini attacked the elderly woman at home, stabbing her and leaving her to die.
Neighbours who heard her screams called for help and Chubb security officers reacted and one of the suspects was arrested.
The house was ransacked by the suspects and it was concluded that the motive for her murder was robbery. The second suspect was arrested on October 22, 2005.
It was established that Ndaba and Dlamini had been to the same house on the day before the murder. It emerged that they raped and robbed a woman renting a room at Sewgoolam’s house on that day. On the following day, they returned to the house and murdered the older woman.
