Woman jailed for mother-in-law's murder
A woman who arranged her mother-in-law's murder was jailed for life in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.
Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe said that mother-in-law Sindile Alphina Pearce, 64, died at the hands of her daughter-in-law Lillian Phebome Pearce, 41, a government clerk.
Lillian recruited a hitman, Mvikelwa Khanyile, 29, who was also jailed for life.
She said the aggravating factors outweighed the circumstances that would allow her to deviate from the prescribed life sentence.
The State alleged that Lillian Pearce arranged the hit on her mother-in-law as she believed she was sowing division between her and her husband.
Khanyile obtained a firearm and recruited Bheki Ndlovu to execute the plan.
In April 2011 assassins went to Sindile Pearce's home. She was lured to a window where she was shot.
She died of chest wounds.
