Faith Ntombela who has since pleaded guilty for killing her husband, on Wednesday she said she had to kill him to protect her children.
Image: Nomonde Zondi
Faith Nongcebo Ntombela, the widow of Durban Metro cop Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela, who was killed in May 2023, has told the Durban High Court on Wednesday that she chose to have her husband killed to protect their children, as there was a threat.
During her evidence in chief, Faith recounted a discussion she had with Khulani Cele via text before her husband was murdered. She testified that Cele asked her who she would choose to protect between her children and her husband.
Faith responded that she would choose her children. Following this, Cele said: “The following message said that is what you have to do. I then asked him why, and he told me that my husband is no saint.”
Faith said that Cele, who communicated with her by phone from prison, informed her that he and her husband were involved in an arms deal business. Cele instructed her to check her husband’s safe for ammunition, as he claimed there was a lot of it.
“I don’t want to lie, I went to look for that ammunition, and it was there,” she said.
Senior State prosecutor advocate Krishen Shah presented a picture of the safe’s contents, which Faith confirmed. She also told the court her husband owned two firearms: his service Glock pistol and a smaller, unidentified brown gun.
Slain Durban Metro police officer Zwelakhe Thomas Ntombela
Image: Supplied
Faith also revealed that she initially believed she was communicating with Siboniso Duma, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, but Cele had impersonated him. Their contact began after Faith posted on social media about wanting to open a daycare for children with disabilities, a cause she was invested in due to having a disabled child herself. Cele, posing as Duma, offered assistance.
According to Faith, Cele initially instructed Faith to poison her husband. Following this instruction, she allegedly met with school principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, who provided the poison.
According to Faith, she had no direct contact with Khumalo other than when Cele added him to their calls. Cele explained that the poison would turn milky when mixed with liquid, so she was instructed to combine it with a milky substance.
However, Faith, who wore her wedding ring during proceedings, testified that she was reluctant and did not poison her husband. “I was reluctant to use the poison because it was not my intention to have my husband killed.”
Hitman Khulani Cele and a school principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo accused of killing Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela
Image: Nomonde Zondi
Instead of using the poison, Faith said she attempted suicide, which was unsuccessful. While recovering in the hospital, she learned from Cele that a hitman, Mandlenkosi ‘Mzo’ Ntombela, was now involved and would shoot her husband.
Despite her claim of not wanting her husband killed, Faith told the court that after her suicide attempt, she felt compelled to proceed with the murder plan because of the renewed threat to her children’s lives, although she did not elaborate on the nature of this threat.
Faith conceded to giving Khumalo her husband’s guns to test them, but Khumalo ultimately did not test the firearms after his phone call with Cele. She admitted her husband was shot with his own service pistol by Mzo, who pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. Faith also pleaded guilty in 2024 and was sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the killing.
She concluded her evidence, and Patrick Mkhumbuzi, representing Cele, said he was instructed not to cross-examine Faith.
The trial continues.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za