Rosemary is already serving six life terms for orchestrating the murders of her lover and several family members for life insurance payouts.
FILE: Rosemary Ndlovu and Nomsa Mudau appeared in the Kempton Park Regional Court on Thursday, 19 September 2024. Picture: Neil McCartney
The Kempton Park Regional Court has found Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu and her co-accused, Nomsa Mudau, guilty of incitement to commit murder.
Ndlovu and Nomsa returned to the court on Wednesday, where the sentence was handed down.
According to the state, the two conspired to kill Nomsa’s ex-husband, Justice Mudau, in 2018 for insurance payouts.
Justice and Nomsa have since separated, following their divorce, which was finalised in November 2021.
Senior State Advocate Riana Williams argued for the State and submitted that the evidence presented by State witnesses was consistent, corroborative, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt that both accused had incited and procured the commission of murder.
The State argued that Ndlovu initiated the chain of events by contacting the hitmen and arranging assistance for her friend, while Nomsa directly engaged with the hitmen and repeatedly requested that her husband be killed.
The court found that the State had successfully proven the alternative charge of incitement, instigation or command of a person to commit murder.
The matter was postponed to 15 July 2026 for the compilation of pre-sentence reports and sentencing proceedings.
Rosemary’s murder plot fails
Nomsa and Rosemary allegedly hired Jabulani Mtshali to kill Justice in 2018, offering R75 000 for the job.
In July 2024, Mtshali told the court that he received a call from Lakhiwe Mkhize, who asked him to accompany him to meet Nomsa. Nomsa got Mkhize’s number from Ndlovu.
“Mme [Nomsa] Mudau told us she had a problem with her husband. She accused him of cheating on her. He goes to taverns and comes back in the morning. When she prepares food for him, he does not eat. She told us she did not have money,” Mtshali explained.
He alleged that Nomsa instructed him to shoot her then-husband at the gate of their home.
“We agreed because we knew we would not do it, and tried a means to get hold of a police officer to talk to. We tried to get the police officer who assisted in the case of Ndlovu, but unfortunately, he was still busy on that particular case.
The two “thought it wise to approach someone who is Venda-speaking, who can then come with us to explain to the husband what was about to happen to him”.
The murder plot was unsuccessful after Mtshali allegedly warned Justice about the matter.
Both women had pleaded not guilty to the crime.
More time behind bars
Rosemary is already serving six life sentences for orchestrating the murders of her lover and several family members for life insurance payouts.
In November 2021, Ndlovu was found guilty of murder (six counts), fraud (four counts), defeating the ends of justice and attempted murder.
Ndlovu was sentenced to six life terms – 25 years for each of the six murders she was found guilty of, as well as:
- Five years for defeating the ends of justice.
- 10 years for each count of fraud.
- 10 years for each of the seven counts of incitement to commit murder.
- 10 years for attempting to murder her mother, Maria Mushwana.
According to the NPA, Ndlovu received more than R1.4 million in insurance payouts after the deaths of five of her relatives and her boyfriend over a period of six years between 2012 and 2018.
