Former SAPS detective captain Roshanlal Banawo has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. He was convicted for plotting to kill Major General Frances Slambert, the head of the Umzinyathi policing district in KwaZulu-Natal.
Roshanlal Banawo found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder
The verdict was delivered at the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday by Magistrate Ian Colditz. In a firm ruling, Colditz stated that there was enough evidence to show Banawo conspired with two men—William Dlamini and Sthembiso Mdlalose—to carry out the plan.
“I do not understand the reason behind Banawo’s grudge against Major General Slambert,” Colditz said. “But the evidence shows a clear conspiracy.”
The plot came to light in 2023. Investigators said Banawo had been obsessed with Slambert and that he was involved in planning her murder.
Slambert had reportedly survived two earlier attempts on her life between May and August 2023. Banawo was arrested in November of the same year.
Banawo was dismissed from the police service in 2019 and had been appealing his dismissal. Since his arrest, he has remained in custody.
During the trial, Prosecutor Attie Truter told the court this was the first time he had seen a plot to assassinate a police general. He also highlighted that, since Banawo’s arrest, at least 42 SAPS officers in KwaZulu-Natal had been killed in the line of duty.
“This kind of conspiracy would have left a huge gap in the SAPS leadership in KwaZulu-Natal,” Truter said.
The case relied heavily on the testimony of two “Section 204 witnesses”—Dlamini and Mdlalose. In South African law, Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act allows a person involved in a crime to testify for the state in exchange for immunity, provided their testimony is full and truthful.
Based on this arrangement, both witnesses were not prosecuted for their roles in the plot.
Banawo’s defence team requested a suspended sentence, saying that Slambert had not been harmed physically. However, Magistrate Colditz dismissed the request, sentencing Banawo to 10 years in prison. The court also ruled that Banawo is unfit to own or possess a firearm.
Slambert was in court for the judgment, along with KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and other senior SAPS officials who showed their support.