Lock Mngeni up for life, says Anni’s sister

Published Nov 21, 2012

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Cape Town - The family of slain honeymoon bride Anni Dewani on Tuesday night called for the hit man found guilty of her murder to be locked up for life.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Voice, Anni’s sister Ami Denborg said everyone who played a part in Anni’s murder must pay for their crimes.

“I think he should get a life sentence. He did kill my sister. He pulled the trigger and he deserves to be behind bars,” Ami said.

“It’s hard, but in the end I want justice for my sister.”

Ami said that she felt as if “a huge weight” had been lifted off her shoulders when she heard hit man Xolile Mngeni had been found guilty on Tuesday.

“My first thought when I got the news was of course relief,” added Ami.

“I felt like one big stone had gotten lifted off my shoulders and I felt happy about the judgement. We are getting somewhere and it’s a comforting thought that maybe there will be an end to all of this soon.”

Sentencing proceedings against Mngeni are expected to get underway at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

Mngeni’s lawyer Matthews Dayimani will call at least one witness as he tries to convince the court not to impose the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The witness will be the doctor who has been treating Mngeni since he was diagnosed with cancer.

Mngeni was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May last year and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Earlier this week, in a three-hour long judgement, Mngeni was found to be the triggerman in a planned hit on Anni.

The Swedish-born bride was brutally shot dead on November 13, 2010, just two days after arriving in Cape Town on honeymoon.

Anni and her husband Shrien Dewani were taken hostage in a staged hijacking on the corner of NY108 and NY 113, Gugulethu.

Dewani was allowed out of the vehicle and the next morning Anni’s body was found slumped across the back seat of the taxi with a single gunshot wound to the neck.

Dewani was implicated as the mastermind behind Anni’s murder after taxi driver Zola Tongo pleaded guilty to his role in the hit.

Dewani’s extradition to face charges here has been placed on hold until he recovers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

But Anni’s family again called on him to end the questions hanging in the air about her murder and stand trial in South Africa.

“I just feel that [Dewani] should go and face his trial,” said Ami.

“Three out of the four people who were in the taxi have been convicted and now it’s time for [Dewani] to go back.”

Dewani is wanted by South African authorities to face charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery, kidnap and interfering with the course of justice for his alleged role in his wife’s murder.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice.

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