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Blood is not always thicker than water, especially when it comes to money.
This was the case when Xolani Mchunu, 41, kidnapped and killed his cousin, Lerato Malembe, 35, after Malembe received “huge sums of money” from the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
Mchunu was sentenced to 25 years in prison at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
Malembe was seriously injured in a car accident in 2013. His cousin helped him file a damage claim with the RAF.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal Police spokesman Captain Nqobile Gwala, Malembe received “huge sums of money” and Mchunu started robbing him.
Malembe realized that his cousin was stealing and confronted him, which angered Mchunu and led to the murder plot.
On December 28, 2018, Malembe was sleeping at his home in Odlameni section, Swayimani, when he heard a knock on the door from people claiming to be policemen. Then the men opened the door, entered the dark room with flashlights, and began assaulting Malembe. Mchunu dragged his cousin and went with him.
The matter was reported to the police and a kidnapping case was opened at the Wartburg police station. On the same day at 8.30 in the morning, a passerby saw the body hanging from a tree and reported it to the police.
When the Wartburg detectives arrested Mchunu, he had Malembe’s bank cards and identification book.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Khombinkosi Jula congratulated the Wartburg detectives for their efforts to secure the sentence.
“It’s sad when a family member turns on you and becomes your enemy. We pray and hope that the sentence handed down to the accused will help comfort the family, ”he said.
TimesLIVE
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