Female serial killers are not as common as male serial killers and I think that makes them so much more intriguing.
Rosemary Ndlovu is an exceptionally interesting serial killer as all of her victims were family, which for serial killers is very rare.
Ndlovu was a member of the South African Police Service and this uniform made people trust her, they believed her to be a good person although some of her colleagues never trusted her.
Ndlovu was a master manipulator and greed was her motive. She wanted a lifestyle that her salary in the Saps would not afford.
In 2015 Ndlovu’s partner and father of her child, Maurice Mabasa, went missing and was later found with more than 76 stab wounds. Soon after his death, she started inquiring about his life insurance policies and this is when Sergeant Mabunda started to get suspicious.
Sgt Mabunda would soon realise that Maurice was not Ndlovu’s first victim and he also wouldn’t be the last. What can only be described as excellent detective work, Sgt Mabunda started to unravel the truth behind the deaths of Ndlovu’s family members.
Her first victim was her cousin, Madala Witness Homu, he was found beaten to death and Ndlovu received over R131 000 in insurance money.
Next was her sister Audrey, she was strangled and poisoned. Ndlovu received R717 421.17 for her death.
Not long after her sister’s death, Ndlovu’s niece, Zanele Motha, was found beaten to death. Ndlovu received R119 840 for her death.
Her nephew, Mayeni Mashaba was found murdered after being seen with Ndlovu the day before.
Her final victim was Brilliant Mashego, her nephew and Audrey’s son.
It was reported that Rosemary Ndlovu received more than R1.4 million from various insurance companies, and many of these policies were fraudulently obtained.
Ndlovu was finally arrested after an undercover operation where she was recorded speaking to a hit man to arrange to burn her sister and her 5 children to death in their house.
And I thought Daisy de Melker was evil.
Sgt Mabunda refused to give up on this case even when his life was threatened and he was offered bribes. He had no evidence linking Ndlovu to these murders but his hard work and dedication ensured the six life sentences she received.
About the author: Monique Botha is a divorced mother of two and has been living on the South Coast for five years. She completed her higher certificate in criminal justice and is in her final year of completing her bachelor’s degree in criminology. She believes in lifelong learning and is proof that one is never too old to make your dreams a reality.
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