Bail bid of wife, domestic worker and two others in husband strangling case postponed

A 54-year-old KwaZulu-Natal woman will spend the weekend behind bars after she was arrested along with her domestic worker and two other women for attempting to kill her husband of more than 20 years.

Sandra Govender; Kwanele Mbebe, 42; Nomfundo Ntape, 52; and Zandile Yelema, 38, briefly appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

They were arrested shortly after the incident on Wednesday.

On Thursday, SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the husband was watching TV in the lounge of his home in Phoenix when he was attacked by three women who used a bin bag to cover his head.

“The women began strangling him with a scarf. The victim fought back and he managed to remove the bag from his head. He then realised that one of the women was his domestic helper.

“While the attack was in progress, the suspects were joined by the victim’s wife who also attempted to suffocate him. The victim managed to activate the panic alarm and a neighbour came to his rescue. Police officers from Phoenix SAPS were summoned and all four suspects were arrested.

In court on Friday, prosecutor Sabelo Ziqubu said the State intended to oppose the women’s applications for their release on bail and asked for a postponement.

He told Magistrate Rajesh Parshotam that alternate addresses had to be verified before a bail application could proceed.

The case returns to court on January 31.

Govender’s family members declined to comment outside court.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.