A former domestic worker is due to go on trial in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday for her alleged role in the brutal attack on her Cape Town employer.
On Monday, Nomasango Xhego's boyfriend was sentenced to 20 years direct imprisonment for the 2015 robbery and attempted murder.
Mvuzo Ndlangana was sentenced to a total of 57 years after he pleaded guilty to five counts, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently meaning he will serve an effective 20 years behind bars.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson for the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, said Ndlangana, his girlfriend, Nomasango Xhego and her brother Camagu Xhego acted together when they hatched their plan to rob Xhego's employer, Evril Page, in April 2015.
"Nomasango Xhego had advised the two that her employer leaves her home at 9am and the plan was to find her at her home and rob her but the two arrived late. As she arrived at home that afternoon, she was grabbed and dragged into the bedroom while Nomasango Xhego was in the kitchen." Ntabazalila said Xhego allegedly refused to be tied up to "look like the victim as planned".
The court found in the case against her boyfriend that he sat on Page's stomach, and strangled her until she lost consciousness.
While Xhego was in the kitchen, the two men ransacked the house.
Ntabazalila said: "They took R11 500, a Blackberry Z10 cellphone, four Samsung cellphones, a black X Box 360 Console, ten videos, Neotel Wifi, various items of clothing and sunglasses, kitchen electrical appliances, a camera and video recorders, jewellery, a laptop, a tablet, hard drives and a black Audi Q3".
Believing Page was dead, the men fled the scene, while Xhego remained behind. She will go on trial on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, her brother, who entered into a plea and sentencing agreement, has already been sentenced to 20 years direct imprisonment.
Ndlangana and Camagu Xhego were also sentenced for murder – in March 2015, the pair robbed Africa Truck Sales, a company Ndlangana previously worked for. They beat a security guard, Ronald Ziwenga, to death with a toy gun that had a steel handle.
They also attacked another security guard, Kennedy Mpofu, threatening to kill him too.
"They demanded keys but he too didn't have them. They kicked the doors to gain entry where they found the car keys and papers.
"All the while Ndlangana was adamant that he was doing this to get back at his former boss as he used to be employed at Africa Truck Sales. They took an Intel computer, a fax machine, a bar fridge, a microwave oven, an electric kettle, radio, Toshiba fan, a white Mercedes-Benz Vito and a silver Cherry Tigo."
Ntabazalila said they made Mpofu drive with them to Kraaifontein where they had a buyer for the stolen cars.
They released him the next day.