Court finds husband and ‘hitman’ guilty of murdering Daveyton cop

The High Court sitting in Benoni on April 8 found Veli Masuku and his co-accused, Lawrence Dlamini,  guilty of murdering Constable Prudence Masuku of the Daveyton SAPS on June 23, 2022.

Veli was Prudence’s husband, and she was seven months pregnant when the murder occurred.

Both accused pleaded not guilty to five charges – murder, theft, two counts of illegal possession of a firearm and defeating the administration of justice.

Handing down her judgment, Judge Rasigamani Bhika said the State relied on circumstantial evidence, the testimony of witnesses and the objective expert evidence on firearms and cellphones to prove its case against the accused.

She said the crux of the State’s case rested on the evidence of Sifiso Masuku, a relative of the constable who turned state witness.

Bhika said Sifiso’s evidence collaborated with that of Prudence’s sister, Nikiwe Maseko’s evidence that Veli was having an affair with another female police officer.

“All was not well between him and the deceased, leading the court to accept Sifiso’s evidence that Veli plotted to kill the deceased.

“His evidence that accused two, Dlamini, revealed his involvement and the details of the murder, finds corroboration in the ballistic evidence that the deceased’s firearm was indeed used to murder her.

“Further, there is independent evidence that Dlamini was in possession of the deceased’s firearm a day before the murder.”

Bhika said the court accepted Sifiso’s testimony that Dlamini told him they had shot the deceased and that Veli gave the firearm to Dlamini after the shooting, who then left Veli at the scene.

“Sifiso’s testimony of Dlamini’s report to him is corroborated by ballistics. The deceased’s firearm was fired at the scene of the murder and was used to murder her. Exhibit D states that all cartridge cases from the scene were fired from the same firearm.”

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The judge did not dispute the evidence that the firearm with serial number P 48835Z was issued to the deceased by the SAPS.

She revealed that on the morning of June 22, 2022, the commanding officer, Warrant Officer Lazarus Nhleko, did not check whether the deceased had her service weapon, but she also did not report it missing or stolen.

“The photos on Dlamini’s phone provide scientific proof that he was in possession of the deceased’s firearm on June 22. Kubheka said he saw a police officer standing on the side of the road and then saw a police officer lying on the ground.

“It is reasonable to infer that it was the same person. Ntumba saw a lady in a blue jacket standing on the side of the road. Taking the evidence of Kubheka and Ntumba together, I find that the deceased was standing alone on the side of the road immediately before the incident. It would explain why she was lying on the right-hand side of the vehicle after she was shot.”

Bhika said there were no contradictions or inconsistencies in their evidence, and she accepted their evidence that the accused’s vehicle was not on the scene immediately before the shooting.

She added that gunshot residue was found on Veli’s left hand only and on the deceased’s hands. Veli said the gunshot residue ended up on his left hand after he touched the deceased with that hand.

“I find that Veli was within 2m of the firearm when the shots were fired. The gunshot residue on his right hand was probably lost through movement and use of his hand.

“I have considered the merits and demerits of this matter coupled with the totality of the evidence before me and accordingly reject the accused’s version as being false beyond reasonable doubt. I duly accept the evidence of the state witnesses, who made a good impression,” said Bhika.

The matter was postponed to June 25 for sentencing.

Day of shooting
Prudence was shot and killed in Putfontein while on her way to work and accompanied by her husband on June 23.

According to a police report, men in two taxis allegedly confronted the couple on Durant Road, Mkgoba Village.

The passengers of both taxis allegedly approached them and fired several shots at Prudence while her husband ran for cover.

When he returned to the vehicle, he said he noticed his wife’s service firearm was missing and reported it to the police. The SAPS arrested the husband on the same day in connection with the murder.

Members of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, Ekurhuleni Crime Intelligence and the JMPD arrested his co-accused after swiftly reacting to information about a suspect demanding cash for murdering the police officer from a “middleman”.

Also Read: Constable Masuku case: photos of guns found on accused’s phone