Anni Dewani's dad no closer to truth on daughter's killing

Anni Dewani's father Vinod Hindocha was hopeful that murder accused Zola Tongo would come clean about his daughter's killing at the victim offender dialogue. (SUPPLIED)

The family of slain Swedish tourist Anni Dewani had high hopes of getting answers about her killing as they walked into Malmesbury prison to face one of her killers last week.

Anni's father, Vinod Hindocha, and his brother Ashok travelled to Cape Town to participate in a "victim offender dialogue" with prisoner Zola Tongo, a process preceding the parole board's decision whether to release a prisoner on parole or not.

They believed that Tongo - who admitted to hiring hitmen to kill Anni - withheld information from the court and hoped he would come clean at the hearing. But they left SA as devastated as they were four years ago when the high court in Cape Town acquitted Anni's husband, UK businessman Shrien Dewani, of her murder.

Speaking from Sweden this week, a disappointed Ashok said: "We had some questions we wanted answers to and we were not satisfied with what we received. We didn't get anything new from Tongo and it is sad because he was the main witness. The main motive was never presented to the courts."

Zola Tongo was jailed for 18 years for murdering Anni Dewani, right, during her Cape Town honeymoon with Shrien Dewani in November 2010. (SUPPLIED)

Ashok said the motive for the murder lay in Dewani's sexuality. The family strongly believes that Anni would still be alive had Dewani's family accepted his sexuality.

"We were never given a chance to present that. We are still looking for answers and what actually happened, and we will not stop until we get the truth," he said. "I am not trying to be biased or anything but there is a vast difference between being heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual. It's not the same."

Tongo, who chauffeured Anni and Shrien Dewani during their honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010, claimed Dewani hired him to find hitmen to kill his wife, offering to pay R15,000 for the hit in a feigned hijacking. Dewani was acquitted of murder, kidnapping and robbery charges in December 2014.

His sexuality was discussed when prosecutors called gay escort Leopold Leisser to bolster their case. An impression was created that he could have orchestrated Anni's death because he did not want to be in the marriage because of his sexuality.

Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Tongo would only be considered for parole after serving half of his 18-year sentence, in September this year.