"Dewani honeymooners begged for lives", court hears

HONEYMOONERS Shrien and Anni Dewani begged for their lives after their taxi was hijacked in South Africa, a court has heard.

In a police video made three days after Mrs Dewani was killed, murder accused Xolile Mngeni described their pleas.

He told police he and a man named Mawewe hijacked the taxi in Gugulethu township near Cape Town on November 13 2010 with a "white man and woman" sitting in the back seat.

Mngeni told an officer: "They said please don't kill us ... They took out two phones and a camera. I told them: 'you are not going to be killed'."

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Mrs Dewani, 28, was later shot dead.

The defence told Western Cape High Court that the filmed statement was made under duress, and also questioned its authenticity.

So far, two men have admitted their role in Mrs Dewani's murder and claimed her husband, a care home owner from Westbury-on-Trym, orchestrated the killing – an allegation he vehemently denies. He is fighting extradition.

Mngeni denies kidnapping, robbery, murder and possession of a gun and ammunition.

In the video shown in court, Mngeni said he asked Mawewe: "What are we going to do with these two people?"

The alleged accomplice replied that he would separate the couple. At this point, the "white man" apparently said he could not be dropped off alone because "this is his wife", Mngeni said.

The vehicle came to a stop and Mawewe shouted to the man to get out, Mngeni said. His wife then started crying.

Mngeni said they drove off and stopped a while later, at which point Mawewe tried to take a small bag from the woman but she held onto it. He heard a gunshot, and after an argument the men fled from the car.