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Convicted gunman tells South African court he was hired to kill Anni Dewani Convicted gunman tells South African court he was hired to kill Anni Dewani
(about 7 hours later)
One of the men convicted of murdering Anni Dewani, the wife of the British businessman Shrien Dewani, on her honeymoon in South Africa told a court on Wednesday: “There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed.” One of the men convicted of murdering Anni Dewani, the wife of the British businessman Shrien Dewani, on their honeymoon in South Africa told a court on Wednesday: “There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed.”
Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 29, came face to face with Dewani for the first time since the night Anni was shot dead in a carjacking allegedly organised by the millionaire in November 2010. Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 29, on Wednesday came face to face with Shrien Dewani for the first time since seizing the taxi in which Anni was shot dead in November 2010. He claimed that the millionaire agreed to pay the equivalent of £1,300 for a staged carjacking in which she would be killed while he escaped unharmed.
Dewani, 34, stared at Qwabe as security guards escorted him to the witness stand at the high court in Cape Town, and shook his head and wept during his testimony. With a shaved head, glasses and dark jacket with fluorescent stripes, Qwabe, who is serving a 25-year sentence for his part in the crime, told the court that he was a former tour guide at the popular Table mountain. The dramatic testimony came as a court record of agreed facts in the case showed that in 2004 Dewani registered as a member of Gaydar, a same-sex dating website, and also Recon, a website for “men into fetish gear”, and suggested that he continued to browse both sites during his honeymoon and even a day after his wife was found dead.
He described how he was contacted by Zola Tongo, the Dewanis’ taxi driver, the day before the incident. “On the Friday I received a call from Monde [Mbolombo, a friend],” he said. “He told me that there was a job that needed to be done. Somebody wanted a job done. The admission document shows that Dewani’s computer was signed into Gaydar, where his profile name was “asiansubguy”, while he waited with his new wife for their connecting flight to Cape Town. His computer also signed into Gaydar three times and Recon twice on 15 and 16 November.
“I said, ‘okay, you can hand my number over’. The guy’s name was Zola. He told me that he has a job and we arranged that we should meet. The bloodied body of 28-year-old Anni was discovered in the back of the abandoned taxi on 14 November.
“We agreed that we would meet the following day, the Saturday. Zola was not known to me, only to Monde. He subsequently told me somebody wanted somebody to be killed. Do I know anyone? He asked what we needed. I said 15,000.” Technical experts from Gaydar and Recon are believed to be among the prosecution witnesses to appear at the high court in Cape Town. The admissions, which were not referred to in court on Wednesday, also reveal that members of Anni’s family recorded a conversation with Dewani a week after her death.
At current exchange rates, 15,000 rand is equivalent to £834. Dewani, 34, stared at Qwabe as security guards escorted him to the witness stand, and shook his head and wept during his testimony. With a shaved head, glasses and dark sports jacket with fluorescent stripes, Qwabe, who is serving a 25-year sentence for his part in the crime, told the court that he was a former insurance assessor and tour guide.
He described how he was contacted by Zola Tongo, the Dewanis’ taxi driver, the day before the killing.
He said: “On the Friday I received a call from Monde [Mbolombo, a friend]. He told me that there was a job that needed to be done. Somebody wanted a job done.
“I said, ‘OK, you can hand my number over’. The guy’s name was Zola. He told me that he has a job and we arranged that we should meet.
“We agreed that we would meet the following day, the Saturday. Zola was not known to me, only to Monde. He subsequently told me somebody wanted somebody to be killed. Do I know anyone? He asked what we needed. I said 15,000.” This was about £1,330 at the exchange rate at the time.
Dewani said in a statement read to the court on the first day of the trial on Monday that he had offered 15,000 rand to Tongo to arrange a private helicopter tour of Cape Town as a surprise for his bride.
Asked by the prosecutor, Adrian Mopp, to explain what happened on the day of the murder, Qwabe said: “There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed. A lady would be killed and it had to look like a hijacking. Nothing would happen to the husband and Zola.”Asked by the prosecutor, Adrian Mopp, to explain what happened on the day of the murder, Qwabe said: “There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed. A lady would be killed and it had to look like a hijacking. Nothing would happen to the husband and Zola.”
Qwabe said he and a fellow convict Xolile Mngeni arranged for transport to meet up with the Dewanis’ taxi for the attack, during which the businessman’s mobile phone would also be taken. Qwabe said he and a fellow convict, Xolile Mngeni, arranged for transport to meet up with the Dewanis’ taxi for the attack, during which the businessman’s mobile phone would also be taken. Qwabe wore kitchen gloves so he would not leave fingerprints.
He told the court: “Zola phoned later on and said he was at the restaurant. He told me that the job needed to be done that evening. The husband wanted the wife to be killed that same evening.”He told the court: “Zola phoned later on and said he was at the restaurant. He told me that the job needed to be done that evening. The husband wanted the wife to be killed that same evening.”
Describing the carjacking, Qwabe said: “[Mngeni] had the gun. As it [Tongo’s car] approached I got into the driver’s side. [Mngeni] got into the passenger side and Zola got into the back. I saw in the [rear view] window a guy and behind me was a lady.” Describing the carjacking, with Anni’s family listening intently in court, Qwabe said: “[Mngeni] had the gun. As [Tongo’s car] approached I got into the driver’s side. [Mngeni] got into the passenger side and Zola got into the back. I saw in the [rear view] window a guy and behind me was a lady.”
He said the group passed a police car and carried on their way. “I ordered Zola to get out of the car. He told me the money was in a pouch behind the front passenger door. I stopped the vehicle, I asked the husband to get out of the car.”He said the group passed a police car and carried on their way. “I ordered Zola to get out of the car. He told me the money was in a pouch behind the front passenger door. I stopped the vehicle, I asked the husband to get out of the car.”
Asked by the prosecutor if there was any resistance from Dewani, he said he could not recall. “The husband was now out of the vehicle and I drove on.”Asked by the prosecutor if there was any resistance from Dewani, he said he could not recall. “The husband was now out of the vehicle and I drove on.”
He said he was behind the wheel when Anni was fatally wounded. Qwabe said: “I heard a gunshot. [Mngeni] said, ‘I shot the lady’. I pulled over on to the pavement and stopped the car. I saw she was on the back seat of the car.” He said he was behind the wheel when Swedish-born Anni was fatally wounded. Qwabe said: “I heard a gunshot. After the gunshot, I got a shock. [Mngeni] said, ‘I shot the lady’. I pulled over on to the pavement and stopped the car. I saw she was on the back seat of the car.”
He did not check to see whether she was dead or alive, he continued. He found the bullet casing then tossed his gloves away nearby. “He [Mngeni] takes out the money,” Qwabe said, adding that 10,000 rand was in the pouch and 4,000 rand was seized from “the husband”. He took a quick glance at her body and did not check to see whether she was dead or alive, he continued. He found the bullet casing then tossed his gloves away nearby. “He [Mngeni] takes out the money,” Qwabe said, adding that 10,000 rand was in the pouch and 4,000 rand seized from “the husband”, still 1,000 rand short of the promised fee.
Qwabe said he went home briefly before going out as it was Saturday evening. He was arrested the following Thursday and, after initially denying involvement, admitted his guilt.Qwabe said he went home briefly before going out as it was Saturday evening. He was arrested the following Thursday and, after initially denying involvement, admitted his guilt.
Qwabe, from the Khayelitsha township where Anni’s body was discovered on 14 November 2010, has already confessed to murder, kidnapping, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm. He is serving a 25-year sentence having been convicted in August 2012. Qwabe, from the Khayelitsha township where Anni’s body was discovered on 14 November 2010, has already confessed to murder, kidnapping, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm. He was convicted in August 2012.
Prosecutors say Dewani, who has been extradited to South Africa after a three-year legal battle, plotted to kill his wife because he wanted out of their marriage. In court on Monday, on the first day of his trial, he said he was bisexual and had indulged in sexual relations with male sex workers. Under cross-examination on Wednesday Qwabe admitted that he had previously lied in court at a bail hearing before he eventually admitted his guilt over Anni’s death.
Dewani denies hiring Tongo to arrange the killing and make it look like a carjacking gone wrong. The defence counsel, Francois van Zyl, representing Dewani, said: “At that bail hearing you testified under oath you pleaded not guilty because you said you had an alibi. Is that a lie?”
Qwabe replied: “My lawyer at the time told me to plead not guilty.”
Van Zyl pressed: “I repeat the question. Was that a lie under oath?”
Qwabe answered: “Yes.”
Qwabe said there were no conversations with Tongo about how the victim would be killed, only that it had to look like a hijacking.
Van Zyl asked sceptically: “You never had a discussion about how this woman was going to be killed?”
“No, sir,” Qwabe said.
He added that it was not decided where the murder would take place or who would pull the trigger.
Prosecutors say Dewani, who has been extradited to South Africa after a three-year legal battle, plotted to kill his wife because he wanted to get out of the marriage.
In court on Monday, on the first day of his trial, he said he was bisexual and had hired male sex workers including German Leopold Leisser.
Dewani denies murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice.
The case continues.The case continues.