FORMER TRAFFIC OFFICER SENTENCED FOR MURDER OF HIS WIFE’S BOYFRIEND
JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY AND THE DIRECTORATE FOR PRIORITY CRIME INVESTIGATION (HAWKS)
03 June 2025
FORMER TRAFFIC OFFICER SENTENCED FOR MURDER OF HIS WIFE’S BOYFRIEND
The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court has today sentenced the former traffic officer, Abednego Desmond Mbuyane (39) to 12 years’ direct imprisonment for housebreaking and the murder of his wife’s boyfriend, Thamsanqa Sbusiso Nkosi. The conviction relates to an incident that occurred on 15 April 2023 at Kwanyoni Lodge in Nelspruit. On that day, the accused became suspicious of his wife’s whereabouts after multiple unanswered phone calls. He tracked the vehicle she was driving using a GPS tracking device, which led him to the lodge.
Upon arrival, he identified the room where the vehicle was parked nearby. After knocking without response, he forcibly entered by kicking the door open. Inside, he found his wife and the deceased. An altercation ensued, prompting the wife and Nkosi to flee the room. The accused pursued the deceased and fatally shot him in the head and shoulder before fleeing the scene. He later handed himself over to the police. The case docket was handed to the Hawks’ Nelspruit-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit for further investigation.
During court proceedings, the accused pleaded guilty to murder and housebreaking. However, the State rejected the plea because the murder was premeditated. The matter proceeded to trial. State Advocate Senzo Zindela led compelling testimony from the accused’s wife and an eyewitness, both of whom corroborated the events leading up to the murder. In mitigation, the accused claimed he had no intention to kill and had merely sought to confront his wife.
After evaluating all the evidence presented, the court convicted Mbuyane of housebreaking and murder. In sentencing, the court considered that the accused had been in custody since his arrest. He was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment for housebreaking and 12 years’ imprisonment for murder. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 12 years’ direct imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) notes the sentence and reaffirms their unwavering commitment to delivering justice for victims of violent crime. The NPA continues to prosecute serious cases daily, upholding the rule of law and strengthening public confidence in the justice system.
Enquiries:
Monica Nyuswa
Regional Spokesperson – NPA Mpumalanga
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi
Provincial Spokesperson – HAWKS Mpumalanga
Tel: 071 481 3437