Durban - Two men charged with the murder of a Pietermaritzburg doctor outside his Chota Motala Road surgery two years ago, tried to pin the blame on each other on Monday.
Mfaniseni Nxumalo, 34, and former policeman Brian Treasurer, 53, pleaded not guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court
The State alleged that Treasurer had been hired by businessman Rajiv Soni to kill doctor Bhavish Sewram on May 13, 2013, because Sewram had an affair with Soni’s wife.
Soni’s trial was separated and is pending. Another man, Sabelo Dlamini, who pulled the trigger, had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in jail.
Nxumalo and Treasurer admitted knowing each other through Nxumalo doing some painting at a crèche for Treasurer.
Both also knew Dlamini – Nxumalo because Dlamini had previously worked for him in his grass cutting business and Treasurer because Dlamini was from the same area in Copesville.
The accused told the court they had nothing to do with the murder.
Nxumalo said that three weeks before the murder, Treasurer fetched a firearm he had given him to look after. A day before the murder, Treasurer asked Nxumalo if he would be able to assist in killing someone. “I said I had never done so and never would.”
The next day, said Nxumalo, Treasurer and Dlamini arrived at his home. Nxumalo was told they were going to the bank so Treasurer could pay him R2 500 he owed him for painting.
Instead, Treasurer drove into Khan Road and stopped. He took out the firearm, cocked it and handed it to Dlamini, who got out of the vehicle and escaped from his view. Nxumalo said he then heard three gunshots.
Dlamini ran back to the car and Treasurer drove off. Dlamini said he had shot someone and Treasurer asked whether he should still go to the bank.
“I was shocked and traumatised and said he could give me the money the next day,” he said.
Nxumalo said they then went to a sangoma.
A few days afterwards, Treasurer paid him the money owed for the painting job. When he got home and opened the money bag to count the money, a firearm fell out.
Treasurer, in his plea, said that on the day of the murder he had given Nxumalo and Dlamini a lift to the vicinity of the doctor’s surgery. They got out and told him to wait for them and he did.
When they came back, they got into the car and he drove them to see a pastor and sangoma, on their request
State advocate Johan du Toit said he would be calling 23 witnesses, including Dlamini, the pastor and the sangoma.
The Mercury