A 39-year-old Escourt woman, Mbalenhle Xaba, will remain in custody after briefly appearing in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 16 September, on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and fraud.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, said that members received information about the Estcourt woman who hired a hitman to kill her husband. The arrest of Xaba was made on Wednesday, 15 September, by Hawks members from Pietermaritzburg Serious Organised Crime Investigation. It is alleged that the couple was in the process of filing divorce papers. In November 2020, Xaba allegedly bought a motor vehicle and handed it over to the hired hitman as payment. “The hitman did not execute the hit and as a result Xaba demanded the vehicle back in order to give it to another hitman,” said Capt Mhlongo. The matter was reported to the Hawks members and an intensive investigation was conducted. The case was postponed to 21 September.
