File
A 41-year-old Kwazulu Natal man was jailed for 25 years for kidnapping and killing his cousin in a crime linked to a Road Accident Fund payout.
Police said Xolani Mchunu was sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg High Court this week for the brutal murder of 35-year-old Lerato Malembe in 2018.
He was asleep in his home in Swayimani near Wartburg when Mchunu broke down the door, assaulted and then abducted him.
“On the same day, a passer-by spotted the body hanging from a tree at Swayimani inJanokwe area and informed the police. The victim had serious injuries to his body and a case of murder was opened,” said police spokesperson, Colonel Nqobile Gwala.
She said Mchunu was later arrested and convicted of kidnapping and murder.
“An intensive investigation revealed that during 2013, the deceased was involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained serious injuries. The accused assisted the deceased in lodging a claim for damages from the Road Accident Fund (RAF).”
“The deceased received huge sums of money and the accused started stealing from him. He became aware that his cousin was stealing his money and confronted him, this infuriated the accused," Gwala said, adding that this led to the plot to kill Malembe.
