The law finally caught up with a murderer who has been on the run for almost two years.
On November 9, 2016, a 98-year-old woman who was bedridden was hacked to death with a bush knife.
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Nthembeni Emmanuel Nzama (42) of Ntaba Ward, Izingolweni was convicted on October 8 and sentenced at the Izingolweni Regional Court last Friday to life behind bars.
The victim, Caliwe Albertina Cele (98) was at her home in Ntaba Ward, not far from where Nzama lived. She had been living with two family members who had been taking care of her.
It was heard in court that, on the night of November 9 at about 10pm, Nzama gained entry to Ms Cele’s house. She and her two family members were asleep when Nzama broke open the door and walked to the room where Ms Cele was sleeping and attacked her with a bush knife. She died at the scene.
After the murder, Nzama fled the area. Detective Constable Lungelo Chiliza from Izingolweni Detective Services was assigned to the case and made a break-through only on June 8 this year, two years after the incident.
Det Const Chiliza had received information from the community and Nzama was arrested during a road block at Hibberdene.
“It was very difficult to find him as he left no trail. I had come under a lot of pressure to make an arrest as Nzama was known to the community but we couldn’t locate him. He was identified by the two family members on that tragic night but he hid very well. Yes, he was on the run, but the law finally caught up with him,” said Det Const Chiliza.
Ms Cele’s family and the Ntaba community welcomed the sentencing and thanked Det Const Chiliza for arresting Nzama.
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