TWO MEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDER

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the effective life sentences imposed by the Madadeni Regional Court on Thabiso Mokoena and Zama Mhlanga following their convictions on charges of kidnapping, murder, and defeating the administration of justice relating to the death of Musawenkosi Sithole in Osizweni in November 2022.

Their co-accused, Bandile Radebe and Sanele Hlatshwayo, were convicted of kidnapping and attempted murder and sentenced to an effective 15 years' direct imprisonment.

The court heard that on 07 November 2022, Sithole was at a house with friends when the four accused arrived. Mokoena suspected Sithole of stealing the rims from his motor vehicle. Following an interrogation, Sithole was forcibly placed into Mokoena's bakkie and tied up with rope.

The accused drove away with Sithole, repeatedly questioning him about the missing rims while assaulting him. They later stopped near a bridge in an industrial area in Madadeni, where the assaults continued. Sithole was kicked, beaten with sticks, and gagged with a sock. Mhlanga then repeatedly struck him on the head with a stone. When Sithole became motionless, Mokoena and Mhlanga threw him into a river.

The accused subsequently returned to the house where they had initially encountered Sithole and falsely claimed that he had escaped from them. After Sithole failed to return home, his family reported him missing to the police. Investigations later revealed that Sithole had last been seen in the company of the accused, leading to their arrest. Despite extensive investigations, his body was never recovered.

During the trial, Prosecutor Sicelo Hlela presented the testimony from a Section 204 witness and accounts from Sithole's friends who observed him being taken away by the accused. In sentencing, the court imposed the following sentences:

Thabiso Mokoena and Zama Mhlanga: 5 years' imprisonment for kidnapping; life imprisonment for murder; and 5 years' imprisonment for defeating the administration of justice. They will serve an effective sentence of life imprisonment.

Bandile Radebe and Sanele Hlatshwayo: 5 years' imprisonment for kidnapping; and 15 years' imprisonment for attempted murder. They will serve an effective sentence of 15 years' imprisonment. In relation to Radebe and Hlatshwayo, the court accepted that they had participated in the assault of the deceased. However, the court found that it had not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Sithole was already deceased when Mokoena and Mhlanga threw him into the river. Consequently, the court convicted them (Radebe and Hlatshwayo) of attempted murder. All four accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The NPA welcomes the outcome and commends the prosecution team for securing justice in a matter involving a particularly brutal and senseless act of violence. This conviction underscores the NPA's commitment to holding violent offenders accountable and ensuring that justice is pursued relentlessly on behalf of victims, their families, and affected communities.

The NPA remains steadfast in upholding the rule of law and trusts that the sentences imposed send a strong message that violent crimes of this nature will not be tolerated.

Issued by:

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara

NPA Regional Spokesperson

KwaZulu-Natal Division