Convicted serial killer and former police officer Rosemary Ndlovu has been found guilty alongside her close friend, Nomsa Mudau, in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Mudau’s former husband.
The Kempton Park Regional Court on Wednesday convicted the pair on charges linked to a 2018 conspiracy to kill Justice Mudau in what prosecutors described as an insurance-motivated murder scheme.
The verdict adds another dark chapter to Ndlovu’s criminal history. The former police officer is already serving six life sentences after being convicted in 2021 for murdering several family members and relatives in order to cash in on funeral and life insurance policies.
In the latest matter, the court heard that Ndlovu acted as the link between Nomsa Mudau and men allegedly recruited to carry out the killing.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), investigations led by Captain Kheswa Mabunda established that Ndlovu contacted hitmen and informed them that Mudau would engage them directly regarding plans to murder her husband.
Several meetings and phone calls reportedly followed between the men and Mudau in Tembisa.
During those meetings, the court heard that Mudau allegedly complained that her husband was abusive and involved in extra-marital affairs. She allegedly promised payment after receiving money from insurance claims once he had been killed.
Evidence before the court showed that the accused allegedly discussed paying about R150,000 for the murder, while expecting to benefit from a life insurance payout estimated at nearly R3 million.
However, the plot collapsed after one of the men who was to carry out the killing alerted the intended victim instead.
Justice Mudau subsequently opened a criminal case with the South African Police Service, leading to the arrest of both women.
Senior State Advocate Riana Williams argued that the State had presented overwhelming evidence proving that both accused actively participated in the conspiracy.
“The evidence of State witnesses was consistent and corroborated each other in all material respects,” the prosecution argued.
The State maintained that Ndlovu initiated the plan by sourcing hitmen and facilitating contact, while Mudau repeatedly instructed the men to murder her husband.
Although both women pleaded not guilty throughout the trial, the court found that the State had successfully proven the alternative charge of incitement, instigation or command to commit murder.
The matter was postponed to 15 July 2026 for the compilation of pre-sentence reports and sentencing proceedings.
The case attracted widespread public attention largely because of Ndlovu’s notorious criminal past.
Ndlovu, once stationed as a police officer at the Thembisa South African Police Service, shocked the country when details emerged of a string of murders committed between 2012 and 2018.
In that case, she was convicted for orchestrating the killings of several relatives, including her boyfriend, sister, nephew, cousin and nieces, in order to benefit from insurance and funeral policy payouts.
Investigators revealed during that trial that Ndlovu had taken out multiple insurance policies on her victims before arranging their murders.
One of the breakthrough moments in that investigation came after undercover police operatives posed as hitmen during a sting operation at a Johannesburg shopping centre. Recorded conversations captured Ndlovu discussing payments and plans to eliminate family members.
In November 2021, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg sentenced her to six life terms plus an additional 90 years imprisonment.
At the time, the court described her crimes as calculated, cruel and driven purely by greed.
The latest conviction demonstrates how investigators continued uncovering other alleged criminal activities linked to Ndlovu even after her imprisonment.
Court proceedings in the current matter stretched over several appearances as the defence challenged witness testimony and attempted to cast doubt on the State’s evidence. Prosecutors, however, argued that cellphone communication records, witness accounts and meetings between the accused and the would-be hitmen painted a clear picture of conspiracy.
The NPA welcomed Wednesday’s verdict, saying it reaffirmed the justice system’s commitment to prosecuting those who orchestrate violent crimes.
NPA Gauteng spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said the authority would continue working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure those involved in violent and premeditated crimes are held accountable.
“The NPA will continue working closely with law enforcement agencies to prosecute all those involved in orchestrating violent crimes, regardless of their position or relationship to the victim,” Mohlatlole said.
For many South Africans, the case has revived memories of the horrifying revelations from Ndlovu’s earlier murder trial — a case that exposed how a trusted police officer allegedly manipulated insurance systems and personal relationships for financial gain.
Now, with another conviction secured, Ndlovu’s name remains firmly associated with one of the country’s most disturbing series of murder conspiracies in recent years.
