Life sentences for men convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Chanlall Dwarika

The Durban High Court has handed down life sentences to Thobani Mhlongo, 25 and Kwanele Makhaye, 32, for the 2023 murder of 61-year-old Chanlall "Shan" Dwarika in Sea Cow Lake in May 2023.

The pair were also sentenced to 15 years for robbery and five years for kidnapping.

Their co-accused, Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye,37, was previously sentenced to 15 years in jail for robbery with aggravating circumstances and five years for kidnapping.

Mr Dwarika, an engineering lecturer at Mangosuthu University of Technology, had bought a house in Sea Cow Lake, Durban North, and was renovating it. He lived in Verulam and planned to sell the house in Sea Cow Lake after it was completed.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said Mr Dwarika was kidnapped from his rental property in Sea Cow Lake on May 28, 2023. Six days later, his body was found partially decapitated in the cane fields in Inanda.

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, Dwarika had been renovating the property with plans to sell it to a Pastor Miya. However, the project faced repeated delays as building materials continued to go missing.

“In 2022, Pastor Miya suggested that Dwarika allow the three men — Mr Mahaye, Mr Mhlongo, and Mr Makhaye — to stay on the property,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara. “The arrangement was that they would safeguard the materials and assist with the renovations.”

In exchange for their labour, the men were not required to pay rent and were to be compensated for their work, including occasional spending money.

Despite the three men living there, the building materials still went missing. May 26, 2023, Mr Dwarika evicted the three men from his property and returned on May 28, 2023 to complete repairs and install a security gate, said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.

While there, he was ambushed by Mr Mhlongo, Mr Makhaye, and Mr Mahaye, who forced him into his vehicle and made off with him. The attackers coerced Mr Dwarika into handing over his bank cards and PIN before making several cash withdrawals and purchases.

Mr Mahaye later separated from the group, taking the cards with him, while Mhlongo and Makhaye held Dwarika at knifepoint and drove him to Inanda, where they forced him into nearby bushes and murdered him. They then set his vehicle alight and fled.

She said Mr Dwarika’s body was discovered nearly a week later.

In court, Advocate Krishen Shah presented evidence including cellphone data, bank transaction records, and witness testimonies — among them, an eyewitness who saw Mr Dwarika being forced into his car.

Victim Impact Statements, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng, from Mr Dwarika’s wife and daughter described him as a generous and supportive man, whose death has left them emotionally and financially devastated.

“The deceased wife described her husband as a helping and giving person who was her pillar of strength. She said that he was her financial and emotional security. Following his demise, she has become anxious and tense. The deceased’s daughter said that the loss of her father has left her with a deep sadness and grief,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.