Teacher kills fellow pregnant teacher for a job post

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The Ladysmith Magistrates Court has handed down a life sentence to a teacher and her hitman for the murder of a 35 years woman who was heavily pregnant at the time.

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara of the NPA said that the 36 years old Nokubonga Dubazane was employed as a temporary teacher at a school where the 35 years old victim, Hlengiwe Ndaba was employed as a permanent teacher at a primary school in Loskop.

It is said that Dubazane was due to replace Ndaba while on maternity leave to her pregnancy, she learned of that through the principal and was also told that she would be considered should there be any vacancy.

“Before Ndaba’s maternity leave, Dubazane hired hitmen, 46 years old Emerald Miya to kill her, she paid them R10 000 upfront and promised a further R10 000, once Ndaba was killed. On the day of the murder, using Ndaba’s car, the two women drove to Bergville.”

“Dubazane had already given Ndaba food laced with rat poison; so, she was weak and in pain when they reached. They then took her to a rondavel where she was strangled with her T-shirt. Before leaving the scene, Dubazane gave the men money to buy paraffin to burn the body and the vehicle.”

Kara added that the men did as instructed, drove to the nearby bush where they set the vehicle together with Ndaba alight beyond recognition.

The vehicle was discovered by a security guard who alerted the police and only linked the vehicle to the deceased and her unborn child through a VIN search.

“When the police went to her home, they found her two children, aged six and nine years old, alone, and unattended because she had not come back home.”

Regional Court Prosecutor Sikhona Sibaya led cellphone evidence which showed that at the time of the murder, all the accused were in the same place as Ndaba.