Man admits to murder six years later
A man's guilty conscience and an honest cop have finally brought closure for the family of a man murdered nearly six years ago.
|||Durban - A man’s guilty conscience, sleepless nights and an honest cop have finally brought some closure for the family of a Wentworth man murdered nearly six years ago.
Since 2009, the family of murder victim, Shiraz Razak, had been waiting to learn who was responsible for the killing.
The 25-year-old was shot dead outside his girlfriend’s home and, after an investigation by Wentworth police over several years, the case was closed, unsolved.
But Wentworth resident, Ronaldo Sewell, had been unable to sleep, plagued with guilt at what he had done.
The Hime Street man, also known as Mano, finally broke down and confessed last year to a policeman from the KZN Hawks Wentworth drug and gang investigation unit.
Unit head, Lieutenant Mntu Mbhele, said Constable Riyadh Adams reopened the now cold case and continued with investigations.
Adams took Sewell to a commissioned officer where he made a plea. He was then charged with murder.
Adams then raided a flat in Wentworth after receiving a tip-off and recovered two firearms believed to have been used in the murder.
Two men were arrested and charged for possession of unlicensed firearms.
They are still to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
Ballistics reports are awaited.
On Wednesday in court, Sewell’s Legal Aid attorney, Thobile Sigcau, read out his guilty plea to magistrate Anand Maharaj.
In the plea, Sewell admitted he shot Razak on October 25, 2009 in Nerissa Street in Wentworth.
He acted in common purpose with three others, who police have asked not to be named because investigations were continuing.
Sewell and three others were members of a Wentworth drug and street gang, the Drain Rats.
Sewell said he was instructed by his gang boss to kill Razak.
The boss told them that Razak owed him a large sum of money from the sale of drugs.
Sewell and three others met their boss in Clairwood and planned the murder.
Sewell said their boss informed them that Razak visited his girlfriend every weekend and that she resided on the Bluff.
Sewell, with two others, agreed to kill Razak.
He said his boss gave him a Taurus 9mm firearm and his friend a .38 revolver.
Sewell and three others, including his boss, went to Razak’s girlfriend’s home where they shot the deceased.
He said his friend fired the first shot and Razak fell forward on to the ground.
Sewell then fired about four shots into Razak’s back.
Sewell, in his plea, admitted that Razak died as a result of the gunshot wounds that he inflicted. He has pleaded guilty to murder.
Sigcau told the court that Sewell is 27 and has no previous convictions or pending criminal cases.
The court heard that Sewell was unemployed and unmarried with four minor children.
Sigcau said Sewell wanted to plead guilty even during his first appearance and had not wasted the court’s time.
Sewell said he was genuinely remorseful for his actions.
He told the court he came forward on his own initiative and confessed to the role he had played in the murder even though police had no evidence implicating him.
Maharaj sentenced Sewell to five years’ imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a licensed firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms and Control Act.
Outside court, Razak’s family welcomed the closure the sentencing had brought. Razak’s second brother, Mahomed, 24, said for six years they had to rely on rumours and gossip about the murder.
“It still feels like it happened yesterday because his memory always lingers in our household. His friends come around and always wonder what happened to the shooters, where were they and who were they. People were curious.
“We are glad it is over now. He was the breadwinner in the family while I was in school. We grew up with my granny when my parents died young. I could not study after matric because I had to find a job. It held up my career,” Mahomed said.
Razak had been planning to get married in December that year and hopefully move to Australia to work as a welder and one day begin his own engineering company
“We later heard he owed someone money, but was unaware of any drug dealing taking place. Adams must be commended for solving this cold case. He took the initiative to see the case through when the family lost hope in the justice system. This is a huge sigh of relief for us,” Mahomed said.
Daily News