Pietermaritzburg triple murder accused pleads guilty

Pietermaritzburg triple murder accused pleads guilty to the murder of grandmother Zanele Ndlela, 65, her daughter Simangele Ndlela, 46, and 8-year-old granddaughter Zenande Ndlela. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka

Pietermaritzburg triple murder accused pleads guilty to the murder of grandmother Zanele Ndlela, 65, her daughter Simangele Ndlela, 46, and 8-year-old granddaughter Zenande Ndlela. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka

Published Jul 12, 2022

Share

Durban — Njabulo Ndlovu pleaded guilty in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday to killing grandmother Zanele Ndlela, 65, her daughter Simangele Ndlela, 46, and 8-year-old granddaughter Zenande Ndlela.

In his plea, Ndlovu detailed the events that transpired.

He alleged that he had arrived at the Ndlela home with friends, and that they were all were drinking and he and Simangele began “flirting”.

Ndlovu said he was then asked to sleep over by Simangele and his friends left him behind.

“Simangele and I proceeded to the bedroom where we had consensual sex.”

He said that Zanele then walked in, demanding that he left, and Simangele told him to ignore her.

According to Ndlovu, Zanele returned with a kitchen knife saying she would stab him if he did not leave.

He said they struggled for the knife and they fell to the ground and he strangled and stabbed her in the neck and in her temple above her eye.

He further said when Simangele woke to see her mother on the floor dead, he did the same to her, strangling her until she was foaming at the mouth.

“Zenande entered as I was trying to figure out what to do. When she saw her gran on the floor and mom dead on the bed she wanted to scream but I covered her mouth… I strangled her and raped her vaginally and anally… I strangled her again."

Judge Poyo Dlwati has convicted Ndlovu accordingly.

Mitigation of sentence proceedings are currently under way.

Daily News