A woman in KwaZulu-Natal has admitted to conspiring to kill her lover’s wife. Mumtaz Osman spoke to The Witness and confessed that she was part of the plan by Sunesh Manilall to murder his wife Monika Manilall. Osman is currently serving a life sentence for her role in ending Monika’s life. She said that she hoped the confession would help her move on with her life. Osman wanted to apologize to the victim’s family.
Osman said that she met Sunesh while she was working as a prostitute. He was one of the men who regularly solicited sexual favors from her. In return, he generously took care of her as well as her children. Osman claimed that she was not in love with Sunesh. More than anything, she was grateful and indebted to him for his generosity. They got married after Monika’s murder.
The convicted murderer told the reporter that Sunesh has a dark, less attractive side. According to Osman, Sunesh likes control those around him. She accused him of being possessive. She doubts that Sunesh killed his wife so that he could be with her. She explained: “I don’t think it was me … I think maybe he wanted the money and the house and his children.”
Osman gave full details of the crime she had previously denied being involved in. She insisted that the murder was Sunesh’s idea and that he funded the entire operation. He paid the killers and arranged for them to be at a shopping mall where he and his wife would be shopping so that the killers could identify the woman they were hired to kill later.
In March 2006, Monika Manilall was shot and killed while holding her baby daughter. Siyabonga Mdlalose, the man who fired the shot that killed Monika, admitted his deed shortly after he was arrested. He was promptly sentenced to life in prison. Two other men who were hired to kill Monika died after her murder. The fourth man decided to testify for the state against the remaining accused in the case. Phumlani Madlala told the court how Osman, Sunesh and the middle-man, Viktor Mbatha were active in the murder of Sunesh’s wife.
The family of Monika Manilall question the motive behind Osman’s decision to confess and apologize. The confession coincides with Sunesh’s successful bail application to appeal his conviction and sentence. Mbatha, Osman and Sunesh were all found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 2010. Both Osman and Sunesh petitioned to appeal their convictions but Osman’s application was denied. Monika’s family thinks that Osman is speaking out about the crime because she has exhausted all legal options to get her freedom while Sunesh goes on with his life. Sunesh is said to be living with a “new wife and baby.”