Wife Gets Life For Husband’s Murder, Family Turns To Ancestors

Faith Ntombela, 44, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Durban High Court on Friday for orchestrating the murder of her husband, Captain Zwelakhe Ntombela, a Durban Metro Police officer.

The chilling murder, carried out by a hitman hired by Ntombela, has shaken the family, who now plan to formally report her actions to their ancestors as part of traditional practices.

Calculated Murder Plot

Captain Ntombela was fatally shot on May 3, 2023, at his uMlazi C-section home while closing the gate, a task his wife, Faith, had lured him to perform to set up the hit. The hitman, Mamdlenkosi “Mzo” Ntombela, confessed to being hired by Faith and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Faith’s boyfriend, Khulani Cele, who is already serving a life sentence for another murder, was also implicated, along with school principal Sithembiso Justice Khumalo. Faith was additionally sentenced to 10 years for theft and firearms offences and two years for defeating the ends of justice, with all sentences running concurrently.

Captain Ntombela’s brother, Nkosinathi Ntombela, expressed relief at the sentencing but emphasised the family’s traditional approach to handling the matter.

“As a traditional family, we are not fighting her; we are fighting her actions. We will sit as a family and report her deeds to our ancestors now that the law has taken its course,” he said.

Nkosinathi also noted the lack of communication from Faith’s family following the murder, calling it deeply saddening.

Impact on Children

The couple’s children were present during the sentencing, a decision Nkosinathi said was meant to provide closure. “I want them to understand what happened and not grow up thinking we had their mother arrested,” he explained.

Faith had requested her children not be present during sentencing. Judge Mahendra Chetty agreed for the younger child to leave but allowed the elder child to remain.

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Judge Chetty criticised Faith for her premeditated actions, pointing out that she had attempted to poison her husband before resorting to hiring a hitman. The court also revealed that Faith had given the hitman a police uniform to disguise himself.

“If she was unhappy in her marriage, she could have filed for divorce. There was no justification for this heinous act,” said Judge Chetty.

Faith’s claim of being manipulated by someone posing as an ANC leader on Facebook was dismissed as lacking credible evidence.

While Faith begins her life sentence, the trial of her co-conspirators, Cele and Khumalo, is set to resume in April 2025.

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