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Five life sentences for PMB triple murderer and rapist

Njabulo Ndlovu was given five life sentences by the Pietermaritzburg high court for three counts of murder and two counts of rape.
Njabulo Ndlovu was given five life sentences by the Pietermaritzburg high court for three counts of murder and two counts of rape.
Image: Mfundo Mkhize

A packed gallery celebrated when Njabulo Ndlovu was handed down five life sentences for a triple murder and double rape in the Pietermaritzburg high court on Thursday.

Ndlovu, 29, pleaded guilty to murdering Zanele Ndlela, 65, her daughter Simangele Ndlela, 46, and seven-year-old granddaughter Zenande in Sobantu last month. He also raped the child twice.

In his plea on July 12, Ndlovu, through his legal representative, Amanda Hulley, said he spent a night at the Ndlela house after having drinks with family members and friends.

He then detailed how his friends left and he had consensual sex with the child’s mother and they fell asleep. He was awakened by Zanele Ndlela, who approached him with a knife and demanded that he leave the house. 

Ndlovu then stabbed and strangled the granny and her daughter and then strangled and raped the child twice. 

Prosecutor Candy Kander went through the postmortems, which laid bare the extent of the injuries the deceased suffered.  

“In addition to postmortems, there is a photo album which shows the extent of the brutality. These injuries portray the accused as a violent man [with] no respect for fellow humans and women,” she said.

Kander argued Ndlovu handled his victims with disdain and had “ample opportunity” to leave the room before the crimes.

Judge Poyo Dlwati ruled his name must be entered into the national register for sex offenders and that the correctional services department should contact the family of the victims before he was considered for parole.

TimesLIVE

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