By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
Rosemary Ndlovu has received six life terms at the High Court sitting at Palm Ridge in southern Johannesburg for the six murders she committed, allegedly to benefit from life insurances.
The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, sentenced Ndlovu on Friday afternoon, following a morning of arguments in mitigation and aggravation of sentence.
Judge Ramarumo Monama sentenced Ndlovu to life in prison for each of the six murder counts.
Ndlovu was sentenced to an additional five years for defeating the ends of justice and 10 years on each of the four counts of fraud.
She was also sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of incitement to commit murder and 10 years for the attempted murder of her mother.
Monama said Ndlovu was not remorseful and was manifestly involved in the killing of her own relatives because their deaths meant money came her way.
“The accused monetised the lives of her relatives, she saw them as a commodity.
“The lawlessness in which she carried out her criminality threatens the very existence of society.”
He added Ndlovu needed to be removed from society for a long time.
In handing down sentence, the court said these heinous crimes were committed while Ndlovu was a police officer who was meant to serve and protect.
“She acted in distinct contradiction of the expectation held for police officers.”
As soon as sentence was handed down, Ndlovu’s legal representative, Vincent Soko, asked the court for leave to appeal the conviction and sentence.
He told the court another court would come to a different decision. The court dismissed the application as quickly as it was argued.
In October, Ndlovu was convicted of the murder of her cousin, Madala Witness Homu, nephews Brilliant Mashego and Mayeni Mashaba, sister Audrey Ndlovu, niece Zanele Motha and boyfriend Maurice Mabasa.
She was also found guilty of four counts of fraud, defeating the ends of justice and seven counts of incitement to commit murder, as well as the attempted murder of her mother, Maria Mushwana.
Ndlovu pleaded not guilty to the crimes and maintained her innocence, despite the evidence against her.
In mitigation of sentence, Ndlovu told the court she was sorry, even though she maintained her innocence straight afterwards.
“To all these families, I know they think that I am responsible, but that is not so. The truth is only known by God. However, be that as it may, I would like to ask them to forgive me,” she said, before adding she accepted the court’s decision.
Ndlovu’s killing spree began in 2012 and ended in 2018 when she was arrested after she was caught on tape planning the death of her mother, sister and her sister’s five children in Mpumalanga.