Naman Shrestha
In January 2015, Noela Rukundo was ambushed by a gunman in Burundi and held hostage for two days. Meanwhile, her loved ones thought that she had passed away. After managing to survive the ordeal, she shocked everyone when she crashed her own funeral in her Melbourne house. Lifetime’s ‘Death Saved My Life’ is loosely based on Noela’s experiences as the protagonist, Jade, who is heavily inspired by the real-life survivor, also gets attacked by gunmen who are contracted to kill her.
Noela Rukundo’s Husband Arranged Her Kidnapping With the Intention of Getting Her Killed
It was the year 2004 when a mother of five children, Noela Rukundo, emigrated from Burundi to Australia, where she crossed paths with another refugee named Balenga Kalala. Upon finding a connection with one another, they started dating and eventually lived together in the Kings Park suburb of Melbourne. Not long after, they made their relationship official in the eyes of the law by getting married in front of their loved ones. In the following years, their love resulted in them welcoming three children of their own into the world. The seemingly picture-perfect married life took a turn for the worse when Balenga suspected that Noela had been having an affair behind his back, something that she was denied later.
Assuming his suspicion to be the truth, Balenga reportedly arranged a hit on his wife when she went to her hometown in Burundi to attend her stepmother’s funeral in January 2015. Meanwhile, he was looking after their children in Melbourne. On the early evening of January 21, she was staying at a Bujumbura hotel when she received a call from Balenga. When she told him that she didn’t feel so good, he insisted her on going out for some fresh air. Not knowing what was in store for her outside, she stepped out of the hotel only to be held at gunpoint by a man who forced her inside a car where a couple of other armed men awaited her.
Noela Rukundo Was Spared by Moral-Stricken Hitmen
It turned out that her husband, Balenga Kalala, had hired a group of hitmen for $7,000 to murder her. Blindfolded and without any knowledge of what was happening, Noela was taken to a rural warehouse and tied to a chair before admitting that they were hired by her husband to kill her. Much to her fortune, the gunmen told her that they would not end her life because they personally knew her brother, and it was against their morals to kill women and children. So, they decided that they would ask for an extra $3,400 from Balenga for finishing the deed, but would let her go.
After keeping her in captivity for a couple of days, she was released on the side of the road with various pieces of incriminating evidence against her husband, including recorded phone conversations between him and the hitmen. By then, Balenga had already told the people in the community that she passed away in a tragic accident. While preparing for her return to Australia, Noela called up her church’s pastor in Melbourne and asked for his help after telling him that she was alive. She also took help from the Kenyan and Belgian embassies to arrange her return. By the evening of February 22, 2015, the kidnapping survivor landed in Melbourne.
Noela Rukundo Forgave Her Husband For Trying to Get Her Killed
On the day of her return, Noela Rukundo wasted no time and headed down to her house in the evening while various people had been mourning her demise with Balenga Kalala. As soon as she stepped out of the car and confronted him, he was shocked and even touched her to ensure that she was real. He immediately began apologizing to her, but she called the authorities anyway. Not only was he arrested on-site, but the police also obtained a court order against him. A few days later, Balenga confessed to arranging a hit on her during a phone conversation with Noela, unaware of the fact that the conversation was being recorded by the police.
The recording was later used to elicit a confession from him and used in the court of law. On December 11, 2015, he was charged with incitement to murder and subsequently received a nine-year imprisonment sentence. Following the conclusion of the case, she admitted that she had forgiven him already. Although he was brought to justice, she still didn’t find peace as the members of the Congolese community began threatening her for reporting Balenga to the police and getting him convicted. She also admitted to having nightmares about the kidnappers and the two days she was held hostage. After asking the Department of Human Services for help to find a new accommodation, she looked forward to starting afresh with her eight children.
Read More: Balenga Kalala: Where is Noela Rukundo’s Ex-Husband Now?
