Western Cape Gardner Convicted for Murdering Elderly Couple

In a rather daunting development, a gardener and his cohort stand convicted of gruesomely murdering an elderly couple for whom he worked. Gcinilelitha Ngcobelothe and Lwazi Ntsibantsiba were prosecuted this week in the Western Cape High Court for the cold-blooded murder of 82-year-olds, Rugeya and Riedwaan Addinall. The grim event occurred at the couple's residence in Sandown Drive, Ottery on January 5, 2019.

Ngcobelothe had dutifully served as the couple's gardener for several years before the alarming incident. Besides the accusation of murder, the pair are adjudged guilty of robbery under aggravating circumstances, as announced by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). According to the Provincial NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, the State aims to seek life sentences during the sentencing trial in November.

The spine-chilling details of the monstrosity include the discovery of rat poison pellets in Rugeya’s mouth by the authorities. Post the killing, the two convicts ransacked the deceased couple's house, gathering small and large household items into their vehicle. Their attempt to make away with the stolen items failed due to an unstartable vehicle. The horrific scene showed extensive signs of a struggle with upturned furniture, strewn items and groceries. The NPA reported that the two co-accused turned against each other during the court proceedings, each blaming the other for the execution.

In the shocking recollections, it was revealed that Ngcobelothe led Ntsibantsiba to the Addinall's property under the guise of working together. Contrarily, Ntsibantsiba pleaded not guilty by maintaining his absence during the day of the murder. However, this plea was proven to be faulty with the revelation of CCTV footage that placed both the accused at the scene by the NPA. The sentencing proceedings are to follow on November 3rd.