R30 000. That was the price paid to alleged hit men to murder top harbour policeman Johan Nortje.
Details of the murder plot were revealed in the Durban High Court on Friday when one of the men involved in the killing pleaded guilty before Judge Piet Koen.
Nortje, 51, who was shot dead in the driveway of his Montclair home on January 17, was an officer in the police’s protection security service and was responsible for investigating the smuggling of goods and drugs through Durban’s harbour.
He was shot twice in the chest and died at the scene.
Nortje was involved in a number of investigations of counterfeit goods and spearheaded several multimillion-rand busts.
Mandlenkosi Chiliza, 20, Nkosinathi Ntuli, 27, and Bheki Khuzwayo, 44, were arrested a few days after the murder by the Durban organised crime unit.
A fourth man, Philani Dlamini, 33, was killed in a shoot-out with officers in Umlazi on January 21, and police are searching for the man alleged to have ordered the killing.
On Friday, Chiliza pleaded guilty and fingered Ntuli and Khuzwayo for the murder. Chiliza said he had met a man named Qwere-Qwere (Ntuli) in December, 2010 and had asked him for a job.
“Qwere-Qwere said as soon as he got a job he would contact me. I did not know what job he was referring to, but I assumed it would be manual labour. In January he contacted me and I met with him and he introduced me to Philani (Dlamini).
“Qwere-Qwere told me and Philani that there was a man who needed to be killed and the payment would be R30 000. At no stage was I told that this man was a police officer.” He added that the murder was to take place on January 13, but that attempt failed.
“The next day we arranged for the murder to take place on January 17. My job was to be a look-out and to phone Qwere-Qwere as soon as it was done so he could arrange for a getaway vehicle.”
Chiliza said on the day of the murder, he was picked up at his home by a Toyota Venture which bore a sign which said “community policing” and was driven by Khuzwayo.
“As we drove to the deceased’s house, Qwere-Qwere gave Philani a 9mm pistol which was to be used to kill the deceased. Philani was instructed to kill the deceased and my job remained unchanged.”
Chiliza described how he and Dlamini waited outside Nortje’s home until they saw his vehicle approaching the driveway gate to enter the road. “Philani ran across the road and fired the shots. After the shots were fired I phoned Qwere-Qwere and ran away from the house. We were picked up from a Steers store in the area and Qwere-Qwere handed me R12 500. Philani was also paid.”
In mitigation of sentence, defence advocate Vijay Sivakumoor said Chiliza was remorseful and had co-operated with the police.
He said a lengthy term of imprisonment, while appropriate for the crime, would not be suitable for Chiliza.
“He has not wasted the court’s time. He assisted the police to arrest others who were involved. He is remorseful. He is 19 years old. Life imprisonment would dissipate any prospect of rehabilitation.”
In response, State advocate N Mbatha said Chiliza had only co-operated with the police after he had been arrested, and had assisted in the attempted arrest of Dlamini only.
Commenting on Chiliza’s plea, Nortje’s son Nick said: “Regardless of whether he pleaded guilty or what sentence he gets, it does not matter. It does not bring my father back. “We are slowly coming to terms with my father’s death and we just want the investigation to be completed so we can have closure. But we have faith in the investigation team led by Captain Neville Eva. He has done an excellent job so far.”
Chiliza will be sentenced this week. - - The Mercury