A convicted hitman allegedly hired to kill the wife of honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani said he was told to stage a hijacking-gone-wrong in which the British husband was to escape unharmed.

Mziwamadoda Qwabe, 29, came face-to-face with murdered Anni Dewani's family as he told the Western Cape High Court in South Africa: "There was a husband who wanted his wife to be killed."

Qwabe was contacted by Zola Tongo, the Dewanis' taxi driver in Cape Town, the day before the killing.

The witness, who is already serving a 25-year sentence for his role in the murder, demanded a fee of 15,000 rand (around £830) to carry out the attack on the 28-year-old bride, having been told by Tongo: "Somebody needs to be killed."

Standing in the witness box and seeing Dewani for the first time since the murder, Qwabe said he was concentrating on the road while fellow assassin Xolile Mngeni killed Anni.

The pair later split the cash before Qwabe went for a night out "socialising," he said.

He told the court: "On the Friday (November 12, 2010) I received a call from Monde (Molombe, a friend).

"He told me that there was a job that needed to be done. "(Tongo) subsequently told me somebody wanted somebody to be killed. Do I know anyone?

"He asked what we needed. I said 15,000 (rand)."

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.