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The Johannesburg High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court, has sentenced former police officer Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu to life in prison for murder.
Judge Ramarumo Monama handed down the judgment on Friday.
The judge had previously found Ndlovu guilty of murder (six counts), fraud (four counts), defeating the ends of justice and attempted murder.
However, the state failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt on the conspiracy to commit murder charge so it was discharged by Monama.
Direct imprisonment
Before Ndlovu learned her fate, Almerie Myburgh, who is a criminologist with the South African Police Service (Saps), indicated that the former police should be classified as a “serial murderer” given her convictions.
“The crimes before the court were premeditated and meticulously planned well in advance. They were calculated and cold blooded in their nature,” she said.
Myburgh further recommended direct imprisonment to the court.
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“The fact that [Ndlovu] shows no remorse, at this stage, there is no prospect for rehabilitation. I can make no other recommendation, but direct imprisonment,” she added.
The criminologist was one of the witnesses who took to the stand to testify in mitigation of Ndlovu’s sentencing.
Sentences
Meanwhile, Monama sentenced Ndlovu to life in prison – 25 years for each of the six murders she has been accused of.
On defeating the ends of justice, the judge sentenced Ndlovu to five years.
Ndlovu got 10 years for each count of fraud.
Monama further sentenced the former police officer to 10 years for each of the seven counts of incitement to commit murder.
On the charge of attempting to murder her mother, Maria Mushwana, Ndlovu was sentenced to 10 years as well.
“Effective period of imprisonment, therefore, is life,” Monama said.
The judge also dismissed Ndlovu’s application for leave to appeal conviction and sentence.
Insurance policies
Ndlovu was arrested after the alleged hitmen told police about her plot to murder her relatives.
She received more than R1.4 million in insurance payouts after the deaths of five of her relatives and her boyfriend over a period of six years between 2012 and 2018.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the insurance policies were mostly for unnatural death and Ndlovu was beneficiary.
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