Emotionally and physically drained, Umzinyathi SAPS District Commissioner Major General Francis Slambert has broken her silence following the recent conviction and sentencing of former SAPS captain Roshanlal Banawo.
Banawo was found guilty of conspiring to assassinate her.

Speaking exclusively to the Courier, Slambert revealed the emotional toll the two-year ordeal has taken on her personal life – including the death of the father of her three children during the trial.
“I was in a war against those who wanted to eliminate me. And like any war, there are casualties – and I am one,” she said.
Despite the trauma, Slambert says she feels vindicated by the court’s guilty verdict.

“It is only through my faith in God and His love that I made it through what has been a two-year journey,” she added.
She described how relief swept through her upon hearing Newcastle Magistrate Ian Colditz sentence Banawo to 10 years’ imprisonment.
“I so appreciated the support from National Minister of Police Sizwe Mchunu, who visited me on Saturday to encourage me and thank me for standing strong in the face of the conspiracy to kill me.

“KZN Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stood by when sentence was passed last Wednesday, for which I am deeply grateful.”
During a visit to the SAPS area office, Mchunu expressed his appreciation for Slambert’s unwavering commitment to her duties and serving with distinction as a female general in a mainly rural area.
“It was a powerful gesture, which I am very thankful for.”

(See this week’s print version of the Courier for the full story)

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