A MOTHER who put out a R25 000 ‘hit’ on her two allegedly abusive sons for an insurance payout was sentenced in the Port Shepstone Regional Court last Thursday.
This was the final chapter in a strange, but true saga with the woman’s brother organising the hitman, then turning whistle-blower and, finally, the mother and sons reconciling.
Makhosazana Dorothy Langeni, (54), from Gamalakhe, pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder.
Regional Magistrate Johann Bester sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment (from which she may be released under correctional supervision at the discretion of the parole board or commissioner of correctional service).
A further two years was suspended for five years.
The court heard that in April 14, 2013, she approached her brother, Bhekimbeko Chonco, and told him that she wanted to kill her sons, Nkanyiso and Nkanzimulo Langeni.
Mr Chonco arranged for a hitman and they were to meet him on August 14 at the SARS building in Port Shepstone.
But, he was not available and they arranged to meet again on August 20 at a well-known shopping outlet in Port Shepstone. Mrs Langeni paid R350 for the man’s travelling costs.
They then proceeded to her home, where the ‘hitman’ asked Mrs Langeni to put her sons’ names in a bottle, show him where they lived and give him photographs.
She offered to pay him R25 000 from the insurance money.
However, when they were leaving her home, she was stopped by police.
The whistle blower was her brother, Mr Chonco, who had phoned the police and advised them of his sister’s plan.
Attorney Chuck Hamann, who represented Mrs Langeni, said that her sons had used drugs and were emotionally and physically abusive towards their mother. He told the court she was suspected to have cancer and suffered from other illnesses. “She has shown remorse and has not wasted the court’s time.”
Magistrate Bester said he took into consideration her personal circumstances, her age, that she had spent a year in prison awaiting trial, she had pleaded guilty, shown remorse and was happy that she had reconciled with her sons.
He said that for a mother to resort to killing her children, instead of loving them, their treatment of her must have been very bad.
However, he said there were other ways she could have dealt with her abusive sons and the court has to impose the type of sentence that sends out a strong message to society that such a person will be dealt with severely.
Magistrate Bester said one could not lose sight of the fact that she would have profited materially from their deaths and this was the reason that imprisonment was imposed.
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