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Double Killer Zaheera Boomgaard Sentenced to Life for Murder of Two Elderly Victims
A Chilling End to a Case That Shocked the Nation
In a Pretoria courtroom filled with grief and disbelief, 62-year-old Zaheera Boomgaard heard the words that would define the rest of her life: life imprisonment. After years of investigation and a long, detailed trial, the North Gauteng High Court handed down a sentence that closes one of South Africa’s most disturbing murder cases involving elderly victims.
Boomgaard was convicted of killing two people months apart in 2020: Jamnadas Harkant Nathvani, a 70-year-old British visitor she met online, and Lynette Mustapha, her 74-year-old church friend. Both victims were found burnt beyond recognition near Walkerville, south of Johannesburg. The court heard that the murders were planned and calculated, carried out for financial gain, and concealed with shocking cruelty.
A Web of Deceit and Betrayal
Prosecutors detailed how Boomgaard met Nathvani through an online dating site. He travelled from the UK to South Africa to visit her but never made it back home. His charred remains were discovered beside a remote road, followed months later by Mustapha’s body, similarly burnt and discarded nearby.
Investigators believe both were killed elsewhere before being dumped and set alight. The gruesome similarities between the two murders painted a chilling picture of manipulation and greed.
Adding to the horror, Boomgaard used Nathvani’s bank cards to withdraw money after his death and forged Mustapha’s will to name herself as the sole beneficiary of her estate.
She was acquitted of a third alleged murder, that of John Naisby, who vanished in 2012 after visiting her home. Although Naisby’s body was never found, his family later had him declared legally dead.
No Mercy from the Court
Families of both confirmed victims pleaded for the harshest sentence possible. In emotional victim-impact letters read in court, they described the heartbreak of losing loved ones in such a violent, senseless manner and urged that Boomgaard never be granted parole.
During the trial, Boomgaard attempted to claim she suffered from auditory hallucinations, saying she heard voices. But psychiatrists from Sterkfontein Hospital dismissed the claim, confirming that she was mentally fit to stand trial and fully aware of her actions.
Judge and prosecutor alike agreed: her crimes were deliberate, motivated by deceit, and marked by complete disregard for human life.
Closure, But No Peace
As the sentence was read, relatives wept quietly, relieved that justice had finally been served but broken by the loss that no verdict can undo. The case stands as a stark reminder of how trust can be twisted into danger and how digital relationships can conceal darker intentions.
For the families of Nathvani and Mustapha, life imprisonment for Zaheera Boomgaard offers accountability, but not closure.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: News24
