DUO SENTENCED FOR MURDER, ROBBERY AND KIDNAPPING OF E-HAILING DRIVER 

05 December 2025 

DUO SENTENCED FOR MURDER, ROBBERY AND KIDNAPPING OF E-HAILING DRIVER 

East London, Eastern Cape — The East London Regional Court has sentenced Lutho Nasiphi (30) and Bahle Nqomfe (26) for the robbery, kidnapping and brutal murder of e-hailing driver, Sibusiso Nogqola, in Duncan Village on 13 October 2022. The trial centred on the events of that morning when Nogqola left home to begin work, leaving behind his wife and their newborn baby. Around 11h00, when she was unable to reach him after several attempts, she alerted the owner of the vehicle he was driving. The owner also failed to contact him and used the car’s tracking system to locate the vehicle. He observed it moving around East London before it eventually stopped in Bhebhele Street, Duncan Village, an area where Nogqola had been instructed never to pick up or drop off passengers. 

When the vehicle owner arrived at the scene, he found the car locked, stripped of its number plates, and with traces of blood visible inside. He contacted the police. The following day, a locksmith opened the vehicle, revealing extensive bloodstains in the back seat and the boot. DNA analysis later confirmed the blood belonged to Nogqola. 

During the trial, State Prosecutor Sinovuyo Sotomela led detailed evidence tracing the movements of the accused on the day of the crime. Witnesses placed Nasiphi, Nqomfe, and an unidentified man in the deceased’s vehicle shortly before they drove to the home of the third accused, Xolela Mancam, where they smoked drugs. Testimony revealed that Nasiphi and the unknown man removed the number plates and that Nasiphi later drove the vehicle to his home. 

Shortly thereafter, a witness heard a man inside the vehicle crying, pleading repeatedly, “Oh my children, oh my children,” while the car shook and its alarm sounded. The assailants later returned to the vehicle and sped off, with the victim still inside and calling for help. The next day, Nogqola’s body was recovered with fifteen stab wounds. His family later identified him at Woodbrook Mortuary. Although no single piece of direct evidence linked the accused to the stabbing, the State presented strong circumstantial evidence and successfully argued that the group acted in common purpose, a submission the court accepted. 

All three accused pleaded not guilty. Mancam denied all allegations; Nasiphi denied any involvement; and Nqomfe offered a bare denial. The State called eight witnesses, while the accused testified in their own defence and called no witnesses. At the end of the trial, the court acquitted Mancam after finding that the State had not proven its case against him as an accessory after the fact. However, Nasiphi and Nqomfe were convicted on all three charges. 

In sentencing, the court imposed the following: robbery with aggravating circumstances, 12 years’ direct imprisonment; kidnapping, 5 years’ direct imprisonment; and murder, 25 years’ imprisonment. The court ordered that the sentences for robbery and kidnapping run concurrently with the murder sentence. The Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions welcomed the convictions and sentences, noting that they underscore the courts’ commitment to confronting violent crime and ensuring accountability for offences committed against workers who serve the public. The NPA commends the prosecutor and the investigative team for their dedication, which ensured justice for the victim and his family. 

Issued by: 

Luxolo Tyali 

Regional Spokesperson 

Eastern Cape Division 

National Prosecuting Authority 

Tel: 047 501 2630 

Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za