A Durban woman who conspired with her lover to kill her Metro police husband has asked the court to be lenient when it sentences her.
Faith Nongcebo Ntombela pleaded guilty in August at the Scottburgh High Court for the murder of her husband Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela, defeating the course of justice and theft.
Captain Ntombela was gunned down allegedly by hitman Mandlenkosi Mzo Ntombela at his home in uMlazi C section while closing the gate, in May 2023.
Ntombela was sentenced by the Durban High Court in August last year to 20 years imprisonment after he entered into a plea bargain with the State and disclosed who ordered him to kill Captain Ntombela.
Following his sentencing, Faith, Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, a school principal and Khulani Cele who had already been locked in jail for other crimes, were arrested for conspiring to kill to the policeman.
Faith who allegedly had an affair with Cele, she said that they met on Facebook when Cele pretended to be ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma. Khumalo allegedly assisted with finding the hitman.
On Thursday, Faith’s lawyer Ashwin Rughbeer in mitigation of sentence, told the Durban High Court that his client was in an abusive marriage. He said after the honeymoon, Faith was unhappy in her marriage as Ntombela did not include her in decision making.
He said Faith tried to commit suicide. However, Faith did not mention the abuse in her plea.
Rughbeer asked the court to deviate from the minimum sentences because Faith wanted to plead guilty from the onset, but her case was delayed.
“The accused has always instructed that she intends to plead guilty,” he said.
However, the State senior prosecutor advocate Krishen Shah said if Faith had been genuine, the matter would have been concluded last year. He reminded the court that Faith first abandoned bail and later on applied for it.
He said her husband not including her in decision-making is a common issue in most households.
Shah said as much as Faith has pleaded guilty, she had not stated why she killed her husband.
“The family still don’t know why. We are still in the dark as to what compelled the accused,” he said.
Shah reminded the court that Ntombela was killed with his firearm and that Faith had asked him to go and close the gate on that fateful day so that the hitman could kill him.
Shah urged the court not to deviate from the minimum sentence.
Furthermore, Faith was supposed to be sentenced on Thursday, however, Shah told the court that he had received a social worker’s report late on Wednesday, regarding the couple’s children and their well-being, as they now reside with their uncle.
Judge Mahendra Chetty said he would need to go through the report before sentencing and postponed the matter to November 29.
