Cases of murder, armed robbery and theft against seven men and a woman were on Friday postponed in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court, Mpumalanga police said.
Spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi said Adelaide Hlongwane (39), a Mpumalanga teacher, and seven alleged hit men, including a Malawian witchdoctor, had their case postponed to February 5 for bail application. They were not asked to plead.
Hlongwane and the others are accused of killing her businessman husband, Sihlangoma Solomon Hlongwane (43), on his farm two days after Christmas.
Hlongwane, who operated a tavern on his farm, was accosted and strangled on December 27. His tongue was tied with a string and pulled out until he died.
Hlathi said it all started with Adelaide asking Abdul Troud Kandazi (31), a Malawian witchdoctor, to give her muti to ”bring back” her husband. ”After receiving the muti, she could not afford to pay him. The witchdoctor allegedly demanded his money and threatened to kill her if she did not pay him,” he said.
Hlathi said she allegedly asked the witchdoctor to assist her to kill her husband. She allegedly promised to pay the witchdoctor R45 000 from the money she would inherit from her husband’s estate.
She claimed she would inherit the liquor business and receive cash payouts from her husband’s insurance policies.
The witchdoctor allegedly found her a hit man from Hammanskraal, whom she allegedly paid R5 000, but the man disappeared with the money without carrying out the hit.
Hlathi said a team of five hit men was then hired for a R45 000 fee. She allegedly pointed out Hlongwane’s Doornkop home to the hitmen.
On December 27 at 1.30am, the killers arrived at his house and trussed him. They allegedly forced him to open his mouth, tightly tied his tongue with a string and pulled it out until he died.
Hlathi said the hit men stole DVDs, a television set and about R75 000 in cash, and escaped in the victim’s bakkie. The vehicle was later found abandoned near Ngwalemong, Groblersdal, in Limpopo. — Sapa