A Greytown farm worker was convicted of murder on Thursday after telling the Pietermaritzburg High Court that he hacked two woman co-workers to death with an axe last week, robbed them then burnt their bodies.
Acting Judge Jerome Mnguni convicted Siphiwe Ndlovu (35) of murder and aggravated robbery.
Ndlovu pleaded guilty to murdering Neengile Gabuzela and Ntombikabani Ngubane and robbing them of R100 and two cellular phones.
He said he had been drinking before the crimes and borrowed an axe with the intention of robbing them on April 17.
The previous afternoon he heard that the women had been hired to work on the farm where he worked.
”I borrowed an axe which I intended using to force them into submission. I foresaw that I might have to use violence to subdue them,” said Ndlovu.
”I went to my room where I continued consuming alcohol until midnight.
”At about 2am I went to their room, armed with an axe.”
They opened the door to his knock and he threatened them with the axe, demanding money but they said they didn’t have any.
He hit one woman in the head with the axe, killing her. He attacked the second woman, fatally wounding her, and she told him there was money under her pillow.
”I found R100 and two cellular phones and took them,” said Ndlovu.
”It was my intention to rob them. However, when I planned the robbery I did not plan to kill the deceased. I only decided to kill them when I was robbing them.”
Afterwards he put their bodies together, covered them with a blanket, poured paraffin over them and burnt them.
Ndlovu said he regretted killing the women, had cooperated with police and made a confession to a magistrate.
The case was adjourned to May 17 for sentence after state counsel Adele Janse van Rensburg said that she was waiting for details of a possible previous conviction. — Sapa