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Hubby killed in cold blood

McKeed Kotlolo

McKeed Kotlolo

Adelaide Hlongwane of Mpumalanga approached an inyanga for muti to bring back her estranged husband.

When that failed, she allegedly paid R5000 to have the husband killed - but the hitman took the money and disappeared.

Finally, her husband was killed two weeks ago.

Now the Mpumalanga teacher and three alleged hitmen, including a Malawian witchdoctor, will appear in court today in connection with the death of her businessman husband.

Hlongwane, 39, of Doornkop near Middelburg, is to appear in the local magistrate's court for the murder of Sihlangoma Solomon Hlongwane, 43, on his farm two days after Christmas. The estranged wife worked as a teacher at Dewagendrift near Groblersdal.

Hlongwane, who operated a tavern on his farm, was accosted on his farm on December 27 and allegedly strangled, his tongue tied with a string and pulled out until he died.

Police said it all started with his estranged wife approaching Abdul Troud Kandazi, 31, a Malawian witchdoctor to give her muti to bring back her husband.

After receiving the muti, she could not afford to pay him. The witchdoctor allegedly demanded his money and threatened to kill her if she did not pay him.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said she allegedly asked the witchdoctor to assist her to kill her husband. Hlathi added that Hlongwane allegedly promised to pay the witchdoctor R45000 from the money she would inherit from her husband's estate.

She claimed she would inherit the liquor business and receive cash payouts from her husband's insurance policies.

The witchdoctor allegedly found her a hitman from Hammanskraal, who she allegedly paid R5000, but the man disappeared with the money without carrying out the hit. Hlathi said a team of five hitmen was then hired for a R45000 fee. She allegedly pointed out Hlongwane's Doornkop home to the hitmen.

"On December 27 at about 1.30am, the killers arrived at his house and tied both his feet and hands with a rope. They allegedly forced him to open his mouth, tightly tied his tongue with a string and pulled it out until he died," said Hlathi.

He said the hitmen stole DVDs, a television set and about R75000 in cash - and escaped in the victim's bakkie.

The bakkie was later found abandoned near Ngwalemong in Groblersdal, Limpopo.

The estranged wife was arrested by the Middelburg police a day after the murder.

Hlathi said she "sang like a canary" during questioning by members of the Mpumalanga organised crime unit.

Police arrested Kandazi, the witchdoctor, the same day at his Tafelkop home near Groblersdal.

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