The Durban High Court has handed down a life sentence to two men whose brutal and senseless murder of a 61-year-old Good Samaritan had shocked Durban’s tightknit Seacowlake Indian community that devastated his family.
This latest raft of criminal justice tough sentencing comes hot on the heels of SA’s high crime rate and crime scourge globally was spotlighted as a global attention at a high level meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump at the White House last week – viewed on reality TV by millions worldwide.
The judge sentenced Thobani Mhlongo and Kwanele Makhaye to life imprisonment for the murder of Chanlall Dwarika, a generous property owner from Verulam, who was lured to his own house under the guise of renovation help — only to be kidnapped, robbed, and ruthlessly killed in May 2023. Their co-accused, Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, received an effective 20-year sentence for his role in the kidnapping and robbery.
According to court evidence, Dwarika had been preparing to sell his Seacowlake property to a local buyer, Pastor Miya. Renovations were ongoing, but construction materials kept vanishing. Miya then recommended that three men — Mahaye, Mhlongo, and Makhaye — be allowed to live on the property rent-free in exchange for protecting the materials and assisting with the refurbishment. Despite this arrangement, the thefts continued.
On 26 May 2023, Dwarika, fed up with the losses, ejected the trio from the premises. But just two days later, on 28 May, when he returned to install a security gate, they struck back. Dwarika was ambushed, forced into his own vehicle, and held at knifepoint while his captors made cash withdrawals and electronic payments using his bank cards. Mahaye later separated from the group with the cards, while Mhlongo and Makhaye drove the helpless pensioner to a remote bush area in Inanda, where they murdered him and set his vehicle alight to destroy evidence.
His body was discovered a week later, leaving his family shattered and the community in deep mourning.
State Prosecutor, Advocate Krishen Shah, led a powerful case for the State, presenting cellphone data analysis, eyewitness testimony, and damning bank transaction records that tied the men to the crime. A witness had seen Dwarika being forced into his car, and the post-crime paper trail told the rest of the horrific tale.
In a heart-wrenching moment during sentencing, Shah submitted Victim Impact Statements from Dwarika’s grieving wife and daughter. Facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng, the statements painted a portrait of a man whose only crime was trusting the wrong people. His wife described him as her “pillar of strength,” while his daughter expressed enduring sorrow at the loss of the opportunity to say goodbye — his body found six days too late.
Mhlongo and Makhaye were each sentenced to:
• 5 years for kidnapping
• 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances
• Life imprisonment for murder
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning both will serve life imprisonment effectively.
Mahaye received:
• 5 years for kidnapping
• 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, to run consecutively, totalling 20 years
All three were declared unfit to possess firearms.
In the wake of the sentencing, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal, said the verdict sent a clear message: “Crimes of violence, especially those that rob victims of their dignity, safety, and lives, will not be tolerated. We commend the prosecution team and law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice. We hope this outcome brings some comfort and closure to the family.”
Chanlall Dwarika’s death is a tragic reminder that even acts of generosity can become fatal in a society plagued by opportunistic violence. The court’s judgment, however, marks a victory for justice — one written in the name of a good man who died trying to protect what he had built.
