Justice for MUT lecturer but no closure for family

THE family of slain Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) lecturer said they would carry the grief of his brutal murder for the rest of their lives. This is after the Durban High Court sentenced his killers to life imprisonment.

- NOMONDE ZONDI

Engineering lecturer, Chanlall Dwarika, 61, was kidnapped on May 28, 2023, and his body was found in the bushes of Durban township, Inanda, on June 3, 2023.

He had gone to his investment property in Sea Cow Lake to conduct maintenance as the property was being renovated when he was accosted.

His killers, Thobani Mhlongo and Kwanele Makhaye, who he had provided with food, lived on this property. The agreement was that they would look after the building material used for the renovations as these were continuously being stolen. The killers’ co-accused, Siyabonga Freeman Mahaye, also lived on the property.

On the day of the kidnapping, CCTV footage from the area showed Dwarika speaking to three men, who then forced him into the rear of his Honda CR-V. The trio forced him to hand over his bank cards and ATM PINs. Several withdrawals were made.