Latest news with #ChanlallDwarika
IOL News
24-05-2025
- IOL News
How the family of slain MUT lecturer Chanlall Dwarika seeks closure after justice is served
Slain engineering lecturer Chanlall Dwarika. Image: Supplied The family of slain Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) lecturer said they would carry the grief of his brutal murder for the rest of their lives. This is after the Durban High Court sentenced his killers to life imprisonment. Engineering lecturer, Chanlall Dwarika, 61, was kidnapped on May 28, 2023, and his body was found in the bushes of Durban's infamous township, Inanda, on June 3, 2023. On the day he was kidnapped, he had come to his investment property in Sea Cow Lake to conduct maintenance as the property was being renovated. His killers, Thobani Mhlongo and Kwanele Makhaye, with whom he provided food, lived on this property. The agreement was that they would look after the material for renovations, as it kept being stolen. The killers' co-accused, Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, also lived on the property. On the day of the kidnapping, CCTV footage from the area showed Dwarika speaking to three men, who then forced him into the rear of his Honda CR-V. The trio forced him to hand over his bank cards and ATM PINs. Several withdrawals were made. At some point, Mahaye left his co-accused and took the bank cards. Mhlongo and Makhaye kept Dwarika at knife point, driving him to the Inanda bushes where they killed him. They disposed of his Honda by setting it alight before fleeing the scene. When he failed to return home, his family reported him missing to the police. His pictures were circulated on social media, and MUT held a media briefing calling for his safe return. The post-mortem results revealed that his throat had been slit and partially decapitated. Judge Khosi Hadebe described the trio as low lives and sentenced Makhaye and Mhlongo to life imprisonment each, 15 years each for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and five years each for the kidnapping. Mahaye was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for kidnapping and 15 years' imprisonment for the robbery. Dwarika's daughter Ayuushi Dwarika-Rajbansi said they were happy with the life imprisonment imposed by the court. 'The sentences were fair and we are happy that the perpetrators got life sentences,' she added. She said she did not know if the family would ever find closure because of how her father was killed, adding that justice was served. 'The perpetrators were caught and reprimanded for what they had done. Their actions did not go unpunished. There is closure in that aspect. However, the way my dad passed, I don't think we will ever get closure. It will be a pain that we will carry for life.' She said they were happy with Sihle Mkhize's confession because without him, the police were not going to be able to crack her father's case. Mkhize was acquitted on Wednesday when the court handed down its judgment. He was with the killers when they killed Dwarika, and he told the court that he went to tell his supervisor at work about what his friends forced him to witness. When Mkhize told the court what happened, he said Dwarika begged for his life, and his co-accused killed him like a goat. At one point, Judge Hadebe asked him if he needed to take a break as he would get emotional while leading his evidence. [email protected]
IOL News
22-05-2025
- IOL News
Two men convicted of murder in the case of slain lecturer
Chanlall Dwarika. Image: Supplied IT WAS a bitter-sweet moment for the family of slain lecturer Chanlall Dwarika, after two men were found guilty of his murder in the Durban High Court on Wednesday. Thobani Mhlongo, 23, and Kwanele Makhaye, 29, together with Siyabonga Mahaye, 35, were also found guilty for kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Mahaye was not charged with murder. A fourth person, Sihle Mkhize, 23, was found not guilty on all three charges. According to the indictment's summary of substantial facts, the State, represented by senior advocate Krishen Shah, said the 63-year-old electrical engineering lecturer at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), owned a house in Maynard Road, Sea Cow Lake. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He said Dwarika resided at another house with his wife in Verulam. Shah said Dwarika was in the process of renovating the property as he intended on selling it to 'Pastor Miya'. He said the renovations were being thwarted as the material bought were being continuously stolen. Shah said sometime during 2022, at the suggestion of Miya, Mhlongo, Makhaye, and Mahaye were allowed to stay at the property on condition that they keep the house secure and assist with the renovations pending the sale of the house. 'In terms of this loose agreement, the assailants would not pay rent and the deceased would only pay them for renovations done and some spending money on a casual basis.' Shah said despite the three men residing at the property, the theft continued. He said Dwarika arrived and 'ejected them from his property" on May 26, 2023. Shah said on May 28, Dwarika visited the property driving his black Honda SUV to effect certain repairs and install a security gate to secure the property. He said Dwarika was accosted by the three men, who forced him into the rear seat of his vehicle and drove off with him. Shah said Dwarika was forced to hand over his ATM card and pin code. He said the three men used his card to withdraw cash and make purchases at various places. He said Mahaye retained Dwarika's card and parted ways with the other two men. Shah said at some stage thereafter Mkhize joined Mhlongo and Makhaye, who held Dwarika captive in his vehicle. 'During this time further demands for monies were made of Dwarika and purchases made with his banking facilities. At some stage that night, they drove to a place in Inanda and they forced the deceased into a bushy area where he was forced to the ground and his throat was slit. They thereafter fled the area and the deceased's vehicle was subsequently disposed of by burning.' Dwarika's body was found six days later on June 3. According to the post-mortem, his cause of death was determined as 'slashing injury to the neck (partial decapitation)". During the trial, various witnesses testified for the State. Judge Khosi Hadebe, in handing down her judgment, said the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Ayuushi Dwarika-Rajbansi, Dwarika's daughter, said: 'We believe the judgment is fair. It was also because of the accused four's (Mkhize) help that we were able to find my dad after so many days. We believe he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are actually grateful to him. 'Having gone through the trial over the last year was quite draining and heartbreaking, especially having to hear what my father endured. There is not a day that we don't think about him and it is very difficult. However, this judgment gives us some comfort, especially knowing that the perpetrators will not go without due punishment,' she said. Sentencing is expected today. THE POST
IOL News
21-05-2025
- IOL News
Three men convicted in the murder trial of Mangosuthu University lecturer Chanlall Dwarika
Slain MUT lecturer Chanlall 'Shan' Dwarika. Image: Supplied Three men have been found guilty of the murder of an electrical engineer lecturer Chanlall Dwarika from the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) . At the same time, one was acquitted of all charges in the Durban High Court on Wednesday. Siyabonga Mahaye, Thobani Mhlongo, and Kwanele Makhaye were found guilty of kidnapping and killing 63-year-old Dwarika and robbing him. Their co-accused, Sihle Mkhize was acquitted of all charges as the court said that without him, Dwarika would never be found. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Dwarika was kidnapped on May 28, 2023, and his body was found in the bushes of Durban's notorious township, iNanda, on June 3, 2023. On the day he was kidnapped, he had come to his investment property situated in Sea Cow Lake to conduct maintenance. The daughter of Chanlall Dwarika, Ayuushi Dwarika-Rajbansi, and her mother, Janitha Dwarika. Image: Nomonde Zondi CCTV footage from the area showed Dwarika speaking to three men, who then forced him into the rear of his Honda CR-V. When he failed to return home, his family reported him missing to the police. His pictures were circulated on social media, and MUT held a media briefing calling for his safe return. The post-mortem results revealed that his throat had been slit and partially decapitated. Delivering her ruling, Judge Khosi Hadebe said the evidence presented by the State set out the role played by each of the accused on the day Dwarika met his gruesome death. She stated that it was evident to the court that Mahaye, Mhlongo, and Makhaye viewed Dwarika as a source of easy money. 'It is very possible that the Dwarika owed them unpaid wages,' Judge Hadebe said. She said Dwarika provided a shelter for the accused, he saw it fit to feed them, and he trusted them. 'Unfortunately, his trust cost him his life,' she added. She said the behaviors of the accused put them in a category of low lives, adding that the court was satisfied that the State proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. She said Mahaye was guilty of kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances. According to her, the State failed to prove that he murdered Dwarika. She said Mhlongo and Makhaye were guilty of all the charges. Discharging Mkhize on all counts, Judge Hadebe said he was a sincere witness, and his actions of going to tell his supervisor after witnessing Dwarika being killed helped police make a breakthrough in the case. The wife of Dwarika, Janitha Dwarika, whom they had been married to for 40 years, could not utter a word as she cried after the court proceedings. His daughter, Ayuushi Dwarika-Rajbansi, said that since the passing of her father, they had received support from other academics from MUT who checked them from time to time. She got emotional talking about the trial. 'It was quite sad to hear what my father had to endure. I wish we had known sooner and tried to help. I wish we had a fighting chance to have helped him,' she said. Sentencing is expected on Thursday.
