Cellphone message for help led to lecturer’s murder

WHEN Verulam lecturer Chanlall Dwarika was kidnapped on May 28, last year, he had sent a message for help from his cellphone to Reaction Unit SA, which infuriated his kidnappers and allegedly drove them to kill him.

This emerged at the start of the trial in the Durban High Court last week.

Dwarika, 61, an electrical engineering lecturer at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), was kidnapped after an alleged wage dispute with workers conducting maintenance at his property in Sea Cow Lake.

Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, 35, Thobani Mhlongo, 23, Kwanele Makhaye, 29, and 23-year-old Sihle Mkhize have been charged with Dwarika’s kidnapping and murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances

Mlongo pleaded guilty to the charges. In his affidavit, he said he had been working for 12 months and Dwarika had not paid his wages of R10 000.

He said this made him angry and created a “tense” situation.

When Dwarika told them he had R22000 in his bank account, they kidnapped him, Mhlongo claimed.

At the time, CCTV footage from the area showed Dwarika speaking to three men on the property. They then forced him into the backseat of his Honda CRV.

After a six-day search, on June 3, his body was found in Inanda. He had been partially decapitated and his throat was slit.

Police later arrested the four accused. According to the court indictment, Dwarika was in the process of renovating the Sea Cow Lake property as he was going to sell it to a Pastor Miya.

During the renovations, materials were continuously being stolen and Miya allegedly suggested the accused be allowed to stay on the property to keep it secure.

Dwarika and the accused agreed that they would not pay rent and he would pay them for helping with the renovations and give them spending money on a casual basis.

Despite the accused living on the property, the theft of materials continued and on May 26, Dwarika told the accused to vacate the property.

Two days later, Dwarika arrived at the property to do repairs and install a security gate when he was allegedly accosted by the accused.

They allegedly forced him into the rear seat of his vehicle and drove off with him.

Dwarika was allegedly forced to give the accused his ATM card and pin. They drove to various ATMs to withdraw money.

Mahaye took the card and left Dwarika with Mlongo and Makhaye. At some point, after Mahaye left, Mkhize allegedly joined Dwarika and Mlongo and Makhaye.

They continued to use his bank card to make purchases. At some stage during the night, they took Dwarika to an area in Inanda where they allegedly slit his throat and burnt his vehicle.

In his affidavit, Mhlongo said he had been working for 12 months and Dwarika had not paid his wages of R10 000.

“He made me wait and kept on promising me that he will eventually pay my full wages when he has the money.

“Before we could install the gate, I raised the issue of my money.

“I was very angry and Dwarika said he would pay us and he was going to get his bank cards. He left and then returned.”

Mhlongo said when he returned he said he would pay them when the work for the day was done.

“This was something he did often and I knew that he would not pay us once the work was done. The atmosphere became tense and I was angry.”

He said Mahaye and Makhaye were also angry.

“He (Dwarika) then informed us that there was R22 000 in his bank account and he would pay us from there.”

Mhlongo said they all drove to the nearest ATM where Dwarika gave them his pin and Makhaye instructed Mahaye to go to the ATM. He said Mahaye did not return.

Mlongo said Dwarika told them a withdrawal of R3 000 was done from an Engen garage and when they went to the garage, Mahaye could not be found.

He said another withdrawal was done at a tavern and when they got to the tavern they could not find him.

Mlongo said they felt betrayed by Mahaye and then they drove to Mkhize’s home in Springfield where he suggested the money be sent to his girlfriend’s account.

He said Dwarika made many attempts to transfer the money into Mkhize’s girlfriend’s account but it was unsuccessful.

“The deceased suggested we get his other card from his home in Verulam.”

He said Mkhize joined them and they went to Verulam.

“We handed his cellphone back to him so he could tell his wife we were coming and she must give us the bank card. At this point the deceased wrote an emergency text message to Reaction Unit SA stating he had been kidnapped, hijacked and being robbed. I saw the text and showed it to Makhaye. We were all angry about this.”

He said Makhaye said they were no longer going to Verulam but to his friend’s house in Inanda.

“When we got to Inanda, Makhaye could not locate his friend and the deceased was pleading for us to release him. Accused three (Makhaye) pulled out a firearm and said we must murder the deceased.”

Mlongo said Makhaye told Mkhize to hold Dwarika down and he was to use a knife to cut his throat.

“We then left the scene and the vehicle was burned by Makhaye,” he said.

State Prosecutor, Krishan Shah, did not accept the plea because he found it to be inconsistent with the evidence.

State witness Pastor Miya, who is also known as Constable Siphomeze Boswana, pointed out Mahaye, Mhlongo and Makhaye as the men who forced Dwarika into the car.

He told the court he noticed them by their clothing.

During cross examination, Mahaye’s defence attorney told the court Dwarika had given Mahaye his FNB card and pin to withdraw the money. Mahaye had claimed this was not the first time he was given the card.

The trial was adjourned.

■ Wage dispute: accused claimed they were owed money

■ Deceased was kidnapped after he had told them he had R22 000 in his bank account

‘This was something he did often and I knew that he would not pay us once the work was done. The atmosphere became tense and I was angry.’

The POST