Faith Nongcebo Ntombela, the widow of Durban Metro police captain Zwelakhe Ntombela who was killed in May 2023, told the Durban High Court on Wednesday that she chose to have her husband killed to protect their children.
During her evidence, Faith recounted a text discussion she had with Khulani Cele before her husband was murdered. She testified that Cele asked her who she would choose to protect between her children and her husband. Faith responded that she would choose her children. Cele then told her that her husband was no saint.
Faith said Cele, who communicated with her by phone from prison, informed her that he and her husband were involved in an arms deal business. Cele instructed her to check her husband’s safe for ammunition. Faith admitted she looked and found the ammunition.
The senior state prosecutor presented a picture of the safe’s contents, which Faith confirmed. She also told the court her husband owned two firearms: his service Glock pistol and a smaller, unidentified brown gun.
Faith also revealed that she initially believed she was communicating with Siboniso Duma, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, but Cele had impersonated him. Their contact began after Faith posted on social media about wanting to open a daycare for children with disabilities, a cause important to her because she has a disabled child. Cele, posing as Duma, offered assistance.
According to Faith, Cele initially instructed her to poison her husband. She then met with school principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo, who provided the poison. Faith said she had no direct contact with Khumalo other than when Cele added him to their calls. Cele explained that the poison would turn milky when mixed with liquid, so she was instructed to combine it with a milky substance.
Faith, who wore her wedding ring during proceedings, testified that she was reluctant and did not poison her husband. She said it was not her intention to have her husband killed. Instead of using the poison, Faith said she attempted suicide, which was unsuccessful. While recovering in hospital, she learned from Cele that a hitman, Mandlenkosi Ntombela, known as Mzo, was now involved and would shoot her husband.
Despite her claim of not wanting her husband killed, Faith told the court that after her suicide attempt she felt compelled to proceed with the murder plan because of a renewed threat to her children’s lives, though she did not elaborate on the nature of that threat.
Faith admitted giving Khumalo her husband’s guns to test them, but Khumalo did not test the firearms after his phone call with Cele. She admitted her husband was shot with his own service pistol by Mzo, who pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Faith also pleaded guilty in 2024 and was sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the killing.
She concluded her evidence, and Patrick Mkhumbuzi, representing Cele, said he was instructed not to cross-examine Faith.
