An Eastern Cape man was on Monday convicted of indecently assaulting and murdering his aunt because she owed him R20.
Grahamstown High Court Judge Jeremy Pickering found that Caswell Nkanunu, of Emasimini, murdered Nomanci Taliwe (47), of Elliot, in her house on December 11 2004.
His co-accused, Sibongile Ncapayi (36), also from Emasimini, was acquitted and discharged.
The judge granted immunity from prosecution to state witness Ncamile Manashe (28).
Handing down judgement, Pickering said: ”To murder her for R20 is heinous. They dripped hot candle wax on her face after she had died. This is indicative of their sadism and disrespect.”
The judge dismissed Nkanunu’s claim that there had been a conspiracy to plant his DNA at the crime scene, and there were people, such as witches, who could suck out bodily fluids when someone was asleep.
”Wondrous as it may seem, and unfortunately for the accused, DNA is rooted in science, not in the spirits or witchcraft,” Pickering said. ”This places him incontrovertibly there, and his attorney Mr Templeton Solani was constrained to concede as such.”
The judge said the attack was planned because his aunt owed him R20 for building work he had done. ”Either he [Nkanunu] or one of his accomplices, aware of the dire consequences of what they had done, strangled the deceased in order to prevent her identifying them.”
During arguments for sentence, state advocate Heinz Obermeyer asked the court to impose a life sentence for Taliwe’s murder.
Nkanunu will be sentenced on Tuesday. — Sapa