Life for rapist who hired hitman

A man was handed two life terms in the Mthunzini High Court for raping a woman and then arranging to have her killed.

|||

Durban – A man was handed two life terms in the Mthunzini High Court for raping a woman and then arranging to have her killed, police said on Tuesday.

Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said that 32-year old Dumisani Christopher Mkhwanazi was convicted and sentenced in the Mthunzini High Court of the rape and murder of Philiswe Promise Dlamini on Monday.

Dlamini was dragged into the bushes before being raped and robbed at gunpoint on October 4 after she had accepted a lift from Mkhwanazi to take her to her home in Esikhaweni near Richards Bay.

Mkhwanazi was arrested on the same day by the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.

While the case was underway at court Dlamini was killed and police opened a murder case at the Mtunzini police station.

Zwane said it emerged that Mkhwanazi, who was in custody, had passed a note to his sister to arrange for a hitman to kill Dlamini.

She subsequently turned state witness and testified against him, leading to the conviction. Zwane said police were still hunting for the hitman.

African News Agency

* E-mail your opinion to IOLletters@inl.co.za and we will consider it for publication or use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.