MEN GET LIFE AND FURTHER SENTENCES FOR MURDER AND ROBBERY
11 JULY 2025
MEN GET LIFE AND FURTHER SENTENCES FOR MURDER AND ROBBERY
The Durban High Court has sentenced Sifundo Bongani Bhengu (39) and Bongani Freedom Jali (24) to life imprisonment for the murder of a 16-year-old girl in Umlazi Y-Section in May 2024. The pair were sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment and 15 years' imprisonment respectively for the related robbery with aggravating circumstances. The deceased, Wandile Aphiwe Ngcobo, lived together with her father and sibling in Umlazi, and Bhengu lived across the street from them.
On 28 May 2024, Bhengu and Jali decided to rob the deceased’s house and waited for her father and sibling to leave the house, going to work and school, respectively. When Bhengu and Jali entered the house, they accosted Ngcobo and murdered her. The cause of her death was later established as ‘penetrating incised wound to the chest.’ They then searched the house for valuables, taking a cellphone, an LCD TV, a decoder, and other goods. They gathered the goods together and arranged for transportation to move the goods. They travelled to Durban, where they sold the goods and shared the proceeds. Bhengu sold Ngcobo’s phone to an acquaintance.
They were arrested after Ngcobo’s cellphone was traced.
In court, Advocate Krishen Shah led cellphone evidence, as well as the evidence of two Section 204 witnesses. One witness was the person who had bought the cellphone from Bhengu, and the other was the person who assisted with the transportation of the stolen goods from Ngcobo’s home.
In aggravation of sentence, Adv. Krishen Shah handed in a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) compiled by Ngcobo’s father and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng. In his statement, the man said that the incident has changed his life forever. He said that since the passing of his wife, his children had become his reason for breathing. He described Ngcobo as a God-loving child who was active in church activities.
Bhengu was sentenced to life for murder and 20 years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and Jali was sentenced to life for murder and 15 years imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The NPA hopes that this sentence clarifies our stance that crime will not be tolerated. This conviction underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring justice for victims of crime and their families. We commend the prosecution team and law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice, and we hope this outcome brings some closure to the family of the victim.
Issued by:
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara
NPA Regional Spokesperson
KZN Division
0716700229