Three men hired to murder Warrant Officer Thulani Ngwabe were sentenced in the Scottburgh High Court recently.

Sithembiso Mbona (27) and Saziso Khambule (27) were each sentenced to life imprisonment, and Nhlakanipho Ndovela (25) was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment.

The court further denied them leave to appeal. The three had pleaded not guilty and their trial continued until they were found guilty.

The lifeless body of Ngwabe, who was stationed at Margate Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, was found with multiple stab wounds on railway lines near Port Shepstone Beach on November 3, 2019.

A case of murder was reported at Port Shepstone Police Station and the case docket was allocated to Hawks members from Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime Investigation for an intensive investigation.

Hawks members left no stone unturned in their investigation and they arrested Ngwabe’s wife Nonkululeko (48) in December 2019.

Her arrest led to the apprehension of her accomplices that she hired to kill her husband. They were arrested in Murchison area near Port Shepstone.

She was convicted and sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment for the brutal murder of her husband in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on June 7, 2021.