Nkosi Sinikiwe Bakhokhele Ndamase, a former Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders senior member, was arrested before he could successfully claim R80,000 from a funeral policy on his younger brother’s behalf after allegedly murdering him.
Ndamase is accused of organising the murder of Prince Thandisizwe Zwelikhanyile Ndamase in 2022 over a traditional leadership position.
He had allegedly taken out a Sanlam policy on his brother’s life amounting to more than R80,000.
In addition, Ndamase allegedly received groceries worth more than R30,000 from three village burial societies for his slain brother’s funeral.
Despite this expected money, he allegedly approached the Port St Johns municipality, saying there were no funds to bury his brother
This was revealed on Thursday in the Mthatha high court, where Ndamase — who is the head of the Mhlanganisweni Traditional Council and rules from Khwanyana village near Port St Johns — and two KwaZulu-Natal men, Mphendulelo Faya Ngwazi of KwaDwashula location in Port St Shepstone, and Vincent Musa Cele of Umkhombe location in Port Shepstone — appeared before judge Fathima Dawood.
Thandisizwe was the headman of the Lujecweni administrative area, ruling over six villages. The brothers lived in Khwanyana village.
Before the murder, the brothers were in a bitter dispute over the headmanship.
Thandisizwe occupied Khwanyana village and Ndamase wanted him removed.
Thandisizwe died on May 24 2019 when gunmen opened fire on him at his home.
The three men were arrested on May 30 2019 before Ndamase could successfully claim the R80,000 from Sanlam.
However, he received R30,000 in groceries from burial societies and the Port St Johns municipality assisted with organising the funeral.
The men pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, murder, possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime, possession of a prohibited firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Cele and Ngwazi confessed, but on January 24, Dawood ruled the confessions inadmissible after a trial within a trial found procedural defects, after the pair claimed to have been assaulted by police and coached to implicate themselves.
Thandisizwe’s widow, Zusange Dunyiswa Ndamase, 30, took the stand on Thursday and said she had not known her brother-in-law had insured her husband.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about the R80,000 policy and the R30,000,” she told the court.
“The accused never spent his money on the funeral ... Nothing was a contribution from the accused.”
She said a ward councillor had organised the municipality’s support.
“The councillor established there were no funds to bury my husband. His policies had lapsed as he had no income.
“The councillor said a traditional leader could not be buried as a pauper, hence he went all out to ensure my husband received a dignified send-off.
“This was never an initiative of the accused.”
Advocate Lulama Halam, for the accused, earlier told the court Ndamase, as the head of the family, had insured his brother and their niece.
For natural death he was to get R40,000, but for violent death or accident, including dying by gunfire, he would receive double the amount.
Ndamase registered his wife, Nkosikazi Sindiswa Ndamase, as the beneficiary.
Halam said: “It was in fact [Sinikiwe Ndamase] who informed the municipality of the death and also the three local burial societies bought groceries worth R30,000 and all that was used for the funeral.
“He insured his brother and other family members to ensure that in the event of their deaths they were catered for.”
But the widow said: “The accused should have insured his other siblings.”
She said if Ndamase had revealed that he was expecting R80,000 from insurance payouts and R30,000 from local burial societies, there would have been no need for the municipality’s intervention.
“That would have been more than enough.”
Daily Dispatch
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