The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the appeals of two men convicted of the murders of Ottery pensioners Rugeya and Riedwaan Addinall.
On Friday, legal teams presented their cases before Judge Bryan Hack, who swiftly delivered a brief judgment, rejecting the appeals of Gcinlelitha Ngcobelothe and Lwazi Ntsibantsiba, the couple’s gardeners. The two men were sentenced to a total of 117 years in prison by Judge Hack following a protracted trial.
The Addinalls, both aged 82, were discovered strangled in their home on January 5, 2019. Medical experts testified that the pensioners had endured severe physical trauma, and Rattex had been forcefully administered into Mrs. Addinall’s mouth.
During the investigation, the suspects turned against each other, each denying their presence at the crime scene. Ngcobelothe was sentenced to life imprisonment for each murder and received an additional 15 years for robbery. Ntsibantsiba was sentenced to 20 years for each murder and 12 years for robbery.
In his appeal, Ngcobelothe argued that Judge Hack had mistakenly relied on the testimony of State witness Bonita Petersen, suggesting she might have been influenced by neighbors. However, Judge Hack refuted this claim, stating that Petersen’s testimony was based solely on her own observations.
“She made no attempt to implicate or even name the persons that she testified were moving on the property,” said Hack. “Even if the neighbours had their suspicions on the day that the murders happened and even if they communicated this among themselves, none of the evidence of the witnesses to events on the previous day constituted (any attempt) to specifically name the culprits. The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.”
Regarding Ntsibantsiba’s appeal, Judge Hack noted that it was primarily a repeated denial of his involvement and lacked clear grounds for appeal.
“In this matter, I am of the opinion that no compelling grounds of appeal have been presented,” Hack stated. “In my opinion, there are no prospects of an appeal succeeding.”
Thus, the second appeal was also dismissed.
The dismissal of these appeals marks a significant point in the pursuit of justice for the Addinall family, bringing some closure to a case that has deeply affected the community. The court’s decision underscores the gravity of the crimes committed and the thoroughness of the legal process that led to the convictions.
