Kamini Padayachee
THE Westville home, to which a Durban businessman and his nephew were allegedly lured before they were killed, was cleaned up on the night of their deaths, the Durban High Court heard yesterday.
Businessman Zainool Fakir and his nephew Akhbar Sudhoona were found dead in Fakir’s car in Sherwood in May 2009.
They had been shot in the head and robbed of their cellphones and watches.
Sudhoona had been bundled into the boot and Fakir was found on the back seat.
Priyen Naidu, Fakir’s business partner, and Ruwain Meer are on trial for the murders and robbery, the State alleging that Naidu plotted to kill Fakir after the latter planned to operate the business on his own.
Naidu allegedly enlisted Meer to help him with the murder.
According to the indictment, Naidu called Fakir and Sudhoona to a meeting at a Westville home on May 13, 2009, the night they were killed.
Yesterday, Thandokhulise Mkhulise testified that he and his friend, Rodney Mbatha, had been hired by Meer to clean and mop a Westville home on the night of the murders.
Mkhulise, who was charged with the murders but was later released, confirmed, by referring to photo albums, handed in by the State, that the home he cleaned was the same property that the State said Fakir and Sudhoona had been lured to.
He said Meer told him the property needed to be cleaned because he was moving out, and he promised to pay him R1 000 for the work. Mbatha was to be paid the same amount.
“I was living in an outbuilding on a property in Sherwood that was owned by Ruwain’s mother.
“Ruwain came to see me and asked me to go with him to clean a house where he was staying. Mbatha and I went to the house; we swept and mopped. But Ruwain did not take any of his bags or belongings when we left.”
Mkhulise said he returned to the Westville house the next day after being told by Naidu to clean the place again with household cleaning detergents.
“He told us where to clean and mop.”
Fakir’s wife, Quraisha, said during cross-examination yesterday that she had never met Naidu and only knew that he had had business dealings with her husband because he had told her about it.
She testified that Fakir had told her on May 13, 2009, that he was going to meet Naidu, adding that Fakir had registered his own business in February 2009.
The trial continues today.