Durban — Two women charged with conspiring to commit robbery with aggravated circumstances appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Zamokuhle Ndlovu and Londiwe Sithole, from KwaDabeka, have left their neighbours shocked after they allegedly hatched a plan to rob Wiseman Sibiya of his severance pay.
While they were unable to withdraw any of his money, as he had given them the wrong PIN, the hatched plan was executed.
One of the women, Ndlovu, is Sibiya’s neighbour. Speaking outside court, he said she had been like a sister to him.
The State alleges that Ndlovu and Sithole unlawfully conspired to rob Sibiya of his Fossil watch, a cellphone, and FNB bank card with a gun being used during the commission of the alleged offence.
Before the two women appeared in court, a recorded telephone call had been shared on WhatsApp several times – of the alleged plan being hatched.
In it, a woman, thought to be Sithole, is heard speaking to a man who, after greeting, asks why the other woman sounds like Zama. In the background another woman, thought to be Ndlovu, is heard shouting “hi baby” to the man.
The conversation revolves around when the alleged act would be committed with the man heard saying that “this weekend was out” as he was “busy”.
“This needs to be done during the week when people won’t notice as they will be going to work and at a time when he (the victim) is not among a crowd.”
The two then agree on doing the “thing” on Monday. They then talk about how the man wanted to have sex with the woman again.
“You think just because you gave it to me that time, you’re done.”
The woman is heard saying abruptly, “listen, let’s first work this thing and then we will see what happens after that”.
“Because you know what, Zama is willing. She had said that he (the victim) wanted to go with her to buy something on Monday. She says she is willing that you can kidnap her as well, maybe stay three days, and then we’ll work this money issue.”
When the man asks how much money the woman thinks the victim has in his account, she says “he had real money come out for him … real money. I don’t want to lie, he has gone to buy a car right now … ”
The two then discuss which banking institution the victim uses and she tells him Capitec and this excites the man.
“Capitec is perfect, that person is just perfect. All the money will be moved same time to this side … Even if he has a million with Capitec all the money moves same time.”
The woman then gives the phone to another woman she calls Zama, who says to the man, “Please kidnap me.”
The man explains that there wouldn’t even be a need to take the woman and the victim for long because of the bank he is using. “The bank is right, it will take one day. If we keep you all for one day we will manage to move it (the money).”
Zama then warns the man that when executing the plan he should wear a mask and hat. As the conversation continues it’s said that the man on the phone is known very well to the victim.
Outside court on Monday, Sibiya said that on September 23 he was robbed after he opened the door to a knock. He said they were only able to withdraw a little over R600 from his Capitec account but unable to withdraw from his FNB account as he had given them the wrong pin. Commenting on the telephone recording, he said: “I was very disappointed when I heard it. Zama is like my sister and she is close to our family.”
The matter was adjourned for a bail investigation.
Daily News