Guardian News and Media/Cape Town
A man who recruited hitmen to murder Shrien Dewani’s wife, Anni, and was granted immunity from prosecution played a bigger role in the killing than previously thought, a court heard yesterday.
Hotel receptionist Monde Mbolombo, said to be a middle-man in the plot, gave a new statement to police last month and, it emerged, helped arrange rubber gloves for the gunmen to conceal their fingerprints.
Dewani, 34, is accused of orchestrating the killing of his wife in a staged hijacking during their honeymoon in South Africa in November 2010.
Citing evidence that he surfed gay websites, prosecutors are expected to argue that he was looking for a way out of his marriage.
Yesterday Dewani rarely sat still, his eyes darting around the high court in Cape Town, and grimaced and had to leave the dock briefly because of a stomach upset.
The court continued to hear evidence from Mziwamadoda Qwabe, who claimed that Mbolombo was merely a “link man”.
But defence counsel Francois van Zyl confronted him with phone records showing several phones calls between Qwabe and Mbolombo before and after the killing of Swedish-born Anni Dewani, who was 28.
Qwabe responded: “To say he was ‘involved’ would be a strong word because he was only the conduit between me and Zola (Tongo, the taxi driver).”
But Van Zyl said the defence had obtained audio recordings and CCTV footage from the hotel reception desk where Mbolombo worked. They included a conversation in which Mbolombo can be heard telling Tongo that the men wanted gloves.
Qwabe, who wore gloves on the night of the carjacking, said he did not know. “He was just a link,” he insisted. But Van Zyl argued that Mbolombo played a bigger role. “If that is true then Monde was more than just a link. He’s now part and parcel here of this whole plan.”
Mbolombo turned state witness and was granted immunity from prosecution last year when he testified in the trial of Xolile Mngeni, who fired the fatal shot that killed Anni Dewani. But he gave a new statement last month after the audio recordings came to light.
Van Zyl also referred Qwabe to phone records showing that Mbolombo had contact with him after 8pm and after 9pm on the night of the murder. “Monde Mbolombo spoke to you a number of times. Was that just to make idle conversation?”
Earlier, Qwabe had claimed that he had no further contact with Mbolombo after he had recruited him and Mngeni as hitmen. It also emerged that the gloves worn by Qwabe tested positive for gunshot residue - even though he claims he did not fire the fatal shot.
Qwabe is serving 25 years in jail for his role in the murder after entering into a plea bargain with the state in 2012. Dewani has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, robbery with aggravating circumstances and obstructing the administration of justice.
The court adjourned immediately after lunch following complaints by Qwabe of stomach cramps. It will resume on Monday.