Newark family killings: Indictments reveal victims’ horrific final moments - IOL

An indictment served in the KwaDukuza Magistrates Court on Friday, details chilling allegations against four men accused of murdering seven members of a Newark family.

Just metres away from where her family members were taken into the darkness and killed one by one, 20-year-old Shamarie Monswamy was allegedly raped before she too was murdered. 

After killing the victims', the accused left the scene and proceeded to a petrol station and purchased food and drinks before returning to the family’s home, the State alleged.

Bongumenzi Mpungose, 28, Lindani Mthiyane, 28, Mthandeni Mthiyane, 21, and Tempeli  Mchunu, 23 have been charged with 19 counts of murder, kidnapping, house breaking with intent to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances and rape. 

They are also jointly charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

They were alleged to have kidnapped and killed Alan Monswamy, 54, his wife Kogilam “Sandy”, 56, and their children Kraidon, 26, and Shamarie, and their relatives Gonasagren Padayachee, 50, Mooniamma Padayachee, 78, and Mariamma Appanah, 83.

The family was allegedly taken from their home on April 21 this year.  A day later, their bodies were discovered in a secluded area in Melmoth. 

Gonasagran Padayachee, Mariamma Appanah and Mooniamma Padayachee.

The State, represented by Senior State Advocate Denardo Macdonald, alleged that the four accused acted with a common purpose in carrying out the crimes.

According to the indictment’s, Alan operated a garden service business in the greater KwaDukuza area, and lived with his wife, children, and family members. 

Mpungose and Lindani resided in the Hlomendlini area in KwaDukuza, a short distance from Alan’s family home, while Mthandeni and Mchunu resided in the Dendethu area in KwaDukuza. 

It is alleged that at some time prior to the incident, Lindani and Mthandeni decided and planned to rob Alan. 

They allegedly approached Mpungose for assistance who in turn roped in Mchunu to further assist in the execution of the plan. 

According to the indictments, a Whatsapp group comprising all the accused was set up to discuss the planning of the robbery. A date was allegedly then agreed upon to execute the plan.

The State alleged that the accused realised they would  or might have to use force to achieve their objective, to overcome any resistance to their plan, or to make good their escape. 

“To this end they armed themselves with a firearm and a knife.”

On the night of April 21, the accused walked to the family’s home.

The State alleged that they broke the kitchen door open and entered the house. 

“The deceased were then all accosted, bound at their wrists and ankles, and their heads covered with pillowcases or the like.”

The State further alleged that the family’s cellphones and bank cards were then collected  and the accused instructed them to disclose their cellphone, banking app and banking card PIN codes. 

The accused allegedly transferred funds from certain accounts belonging to the deceased into their own cards. They also allegedly withdrew cash from the deceased’s accounts, the indictments read.

The State alleged that at some point the accused decided and planned to kill the family to avoid “detection by authorities” at a later stage. 

The accused then loaded the family members, who were still bound, into the bin of Alan’s Ford Ranger, and were driven to a secluded spot in Melmoth. 

The State alleged that Alan, Kogilam and Kraidon were taken into the surrounding vegetation, where they were executed.

“Each with a gunshot to the head and stabbed several times on their upper bodies.” 

According to the court papers, while this transpired, Mpungose allegedly left one of his co-accused guarding Gonasagren, Mooniamma, and Appanah, and took Shamarie to a secluded spot in the vegetation where he raped her. 

“Once done, the accused one (Mpungose) then shot her once in the head and stabbed her several times on her upper body.”

According to the court papers, all of the accused then returned to the vehicle and each of the remaining family members, Gonasagren, Mooniamma, and Appanah, were in turn taken to various spots in the vegetation and stabbed several times on their upper bodies.

The State alleged that the accused thereafter left the scene and proceeded to a petrol station and purchased food and drinks before returning to the family’s home. 

While en route, Lindani made arrangements for Alan’s vehicle to be taken.  

The State alleged that during the incident cellphones, bank cards, a router, garden equipment, tools and the vehicle were taken. The accused then hid the items before proceeding to Stanger to hand over the vehicle. 

The next day, Mpungose, Lindani, and Mthandeni were arrested, and later that night the bodies of the family members were found. Mchunu was later arrested. 

According to the post-mortem results, Alan died from multiple sharp force trauma and a gunshot wound to the head.

Kogilam and Shamarie each died from a gunshot wound to the head and multiple stab wounds, while Kraidon died from a gunshot wound to the neck and multiple sharp force trauma to his body.

Mooniamma died from multiple stab wounds to her head, neck and back, Gonasagren died from multiple stab wounds to the body; and Mariamma died from multiple sharp force trauma to the body. 

The accused, who previously abandoned their bid for bail, are expected to appear in the Durban High Court next month.