Saneliso Tshabalala, 23, and Lungani Ngwenya, 19, were sentenced at the Ezakheni Regional Court, to life and 25 years imprisonment each for the murder, housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances, as well as kidnappings they committed in March 2023.
The complainant, Siyabonga Makhaza and the deceased Sithembe Mabizela lived in cottages in Ezakheni, KwaZulu-Natal.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said in the early hours of March 7, 2023, Mr Makhaza and Mr Mabizela were awakened by the sound of breaking glass.
“They saw four men in their cottage. The men assaulted them and took their belongings. Thereafter Makhaza and Mabizela were taken to a nearby bridge and asked to jump over. They were further assaulted when they refused. Tshabalala asked them to jump because he was afraid that they would identify him if they reported the matter to the police. Even though Makhaza was stabbed by the accused, he managed to escape, but Mabizela was not able to do so,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
Mr Makhaza went to several nearby homesteads for assistance and eventually ended up at the police station. When the police went to the scene, they found Mr Mabizela’s body.
Tshabalala was arrested a week later after he confessed to his mother, and she handed him over to the police. Ngwenya was subsequently arrested.
In aggravation of the sentence, Prosecutor Cwayita Ngcongo handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Mr Mabizela’s granny and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Khulekani Professor Mthembu.
In her statement, the granny said Mr Mabizela was the family’s hope for a better life. He had left home to live in Ezakheni so that he could study, he was in his final year of study.
“Both Tshabalala and Ngwenya were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years imprisonment for the housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances as well as five years imprisonment for each count of kidnapping. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently with life imprisonment, and they were declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter, and commend the work done by the prosecution and the police.
