Sentencing proceedings are expected to take place today in the Durban High Court after two men were found guilty of the kidnapping, robbery and murder of 61-year-old Mangosuthu University of Technology lecturer Chanlall Dwarika, whose body was discovered a week after he was abducted in May 2023.

According to The Witness, Thobani Mhlongo (25) and Kwanele Makhaye (32) were convicted of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and murder, while Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye (37) was convicted of kidnapping and robbery.

According to NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the court heard that Dwarika, who lived in Verulam, owned a house in Sea Cow Lake that he was in the process of renovating in order to sell to a ‘Pastor Miya’. Due to recurring theft of building materials from the site, Miya suggested that Mahaye, Mhlongo and Makhaye be allowed to live on the property to protect the materials and assist with renovations. The agreement was that they would not pay rent and would receive casual payments for their work.

“Despite their presence, the thefts continued. On May 26, 2023, Dwarika visited the property and ordered the men to leave. Two days later, on May 28, he returned alone to carry out repairs and install a security gate. While on site, he was accosted by the three men, forced into his own vehicle, and driven away.

“The men demanded Dwarika’s bank cards and Pin, using them to make several withdrawals and purchases. Mahaye eventually separated from the group, taking the cards with him. Meanwhile, Mhlongo and Makhaye held Dwarika at knifepoint and drove him to the Inanda area. There, they forced him into the bushes and murdered him. They then set his vehicle alight and fled the scene. His body was discovered about a week later,” she said in a statement.

In court, State Advocate Krishen Shah handed in victim impact statements from Dwarika’s wife and daughter, facilitated by court preparation officer Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng.

In her statement, Dwarika’s wife described her husband as a kind and generous man who was the family’s emotional and financial pillar.

“Since his death, I have lived in fear, anxiety, and a deep sadness,” she wrote.

His daughter spoke of the trauma of only finding her father’s body six days after his murder.

“We were robbed of a final goodbye. His death left us with a grief that words cannot express,” she said.

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