'We never thought it was because of one of our own': Trail of bodies in the life of murder accused Ndlovu

She was seen as the golden member of her family, a trusted police officer blessed with good luck and success.

Behind the veneer, Tembisa sergeant Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu is allegedly a cold-hearted killer who murdered her lover and five of her family, and plotted to kill seven others, including her sister, young nieces and nephews, and even her elderly mother.

The Sunday Times can reveal that her partner, Maurice Mabasa, whom she is charged with murdering in 2015, was just one of her lovers to die mysteriously.

Ndlovu, 46, this week wept in court as she recalled how Mabasa was stabbed about 80 times and dumped in Olifantsfontein in 2015. Their daughter, Makhanani, almost three, died suddenly in 2017.

Ndlovu has denied all charges.

In 2004 Hand Khoza, a security guard who had paid lobola for Ndlovu, suddenly fell ill, was hospitalised and died.

Four years later their son, Jaunty Khoza, 13, died. The boy lived with Ndlovu's mother Maria Mushwana and was visiting his mother in Johannesburg when he suddenly died.

The sources of these revelations are a police source, a neighbour who attended the funerals, and Ndlovu's sister Joyce Ndlovu, who lives in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. All three spoke to the Sunday Times.

Joyce Ndlovu said the boy was believed to have been poisoned. Investigations of his death "vanished into thin air", she said.

"Now I do believe that it is possible that Nomia may have killed them," she said.

Ndlovu is accused of murdering her sister Audrey, Audrey's son Brilliant Mashego, their cousin, a niece, another nephew and Mabasa to cash in on life and funeral policies.

She is also accused of trying to kill seven others- Joyce Ndlovu, her five children, another niece and her mother. Ndlovu received about R1.4m in insurance payouts.

Now I do believe that it is possible that Nomia may have killed them... I think that myself and all my children should be dead

—  Joyce Ndlovu, sister of murder accussed Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu

Joyce said police told her in March 2018 that she and her children had escaped being killed by hitmen hired by Ndlovu.

The state said they were to be burnt alive as they slept at home in Bushbuckridge. One of the hitmen told the police of the plot.

An undercover police officer joined the hitmen and recorded Ndlovu on camera, while driving to Joyce Ndlovu's house. She told him how she wanted the murder carried out but was arrested after the trip.

At Joyce's home on Friday morning, a small TV was tuned to live proceedings of the murder trial.

As Joyce watched it was clear she believed her sister had planned to kill her.

"When I look at that [evidence] video clip, I think that myself and all my children should be dead," she said. Her youngest child, who was running about the house barefoot, had been five months old at the time of the foiled murder plot.

Joyce says she now survives on odd jobs and her children's social grants.

She did not think twice when giving her and her children's identity documents to her sister.

"She saw my situation and wanted to use it [to] her benefit," said Joyce Ndlovu. "She would sometimes buy meat for me and my children when she was home and I never knew that in the end she would want to prey on us."

Joyce said her family and the community believed it was just bad luck when, year after year, they buried relatives - many of whom had died in a brutal manner.

"We never thought it was because of one of our own," she said.

The case against her sister has changed her family forever.

This week, Mushwana testified in her daughter's defence. This after police told her Ndlovu had hired a hitman for R2,600 to kill her too. She was to be strangled.

Mushwana disputed evidence by the hired killer that he came to her house, saw how vulnerable she looked, asked for a glass of water and left without carrying out the deed.

"No-one came to my house to ask for water," she said.

She and Joyce Ndlovu live on the same street, but do not see eye to eye when it comes to the case.

"I am also her child and I was almost killed," said Joyce. "She almost lost six of her family members but she never chose to stand with me. It shows that my mother loves her more.

"She came here that day [of Ndlovu's arrest] and I told her what she was accused of. But the first thing she said was that Rose would never do that, her child is not a criminal. It shows that she doesn't love me ... but I love my mother," said Joyce as she wiped away tears.

The Sunday Times visited Mushwana, who said the trial was unbearable. "I don't think I will live through this," she said.

"I don't know anything about anyone wanting to kill me and I cannot agree to something I do not know. On whether Rose did anything wrong, I don't know that either," she said.

"It's painful because her being in prison is like her being buried alive and I can't get to her any more," said Mushwana.

A person who has known Ndlovu for many years said locals were shocked because she was regarded as successful, having made a life away from Bushbuckridge.

"Luck always followed her. She had even won a car - a Citroën - in a competition years ago after becoming a police officer. She was in the newspaper and we were happy for her. God blessed her with a good man [Khoza] who was very quiet. But now . we think it's best she doesn't come back here."

Ndlovu became a police officer in 2008. She was a sergeant at the time of her arrest and was later dismissed from the force.

Victim 1

• Witness Madala Homu, Ndlovu's cousin, was murdered in March 2012 on his way home from work. His body was found dumped in Johannesburg and he had sustained head injuries. Ndlovu received more than R131,000 from insurance policies on his life.

Victim 2

• Audrey Somisa Ndlovu, Ndlovu's sister, was killed in June 2013, allegedly by poison and strangulation in Tembisa. Ndlovu was paid more than R717,000 from policies taken out in Audrey's name.

Victim 3

• Yingwani Maurice Mabasa, Ndlovu's lover, died in October 2015 after being stabbed more than 80 times. His body was dumped near the Olifantsfontein police station. Ndlovu received more than R416,000 from insurance policies.

Victim 4

• Zanele Motha, Ndlovu's niece, died in June 2016 after claims she had been attacked on a street in Kempton Park during a visit to Ndlovu's house. Insurance policies paid Ndlovu almost R120,000.

Victim 5

• Willie Mayeni Mashaba, Ndlovu's nephew and Zanele Motha's brother, was murdered in April 2017. His body was found dumped near Olifantsfontein with severe head injuries. Ndlovu said that though she had taken out policies in Mashaba's name, she had never claimed on them. She has yet to tell the court why.

Victim 6

• Brilliant Mashego, Ndlovu's nephew and Audrey Ndlovu's son, was killed in January 2018. He had been beaten and his skull was cracked open. Ndlovu said that she had taken out policies in his name but had never claimed on them. She has not told the court the reason for this.

—  The six people alleged to have been murdered by Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu