The Durban High Court has sentenced Felokwakhe Ndlovu (53), Nkosiyanda Ndlovu (30), and Nkosinathi Mbambo (30), to various terms of direct imprisonment for the September 2018 murder of Thulani Lawrence Nxumalo, in the KwaNdengezi area.

They were also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

At the time, Nxumalo was the chairperson of the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) of the ANC in the area and Felokwakhe was an induna.

Before the incident, there were allegations that Felokwakhe was selling plots for his benefit. When Nxumalo began investigating these allegations, Felokwakhe enlisted the assistance of his co-perpetrators and they hatched a plan to kill him.

On the day of the incident, Nxumalo was returning home from a BEC meeting while the men waited for him nearby. As he approached his home, they shot him several times in the neck, chest, and head, and fled the scene. They were arrested about two months later after police acted on information from their informers.

In court, the state represented by the deputy director of public prosecutions, Lawrence Gcaba, senior state advocate Elvis Gcweka, and state advocate Nhlanhla Shange, led the testimonies of witnesses as well as that of Nxumalo’s wife and police officers, who attended the scene.

The state also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by Nxumalo’s wife and facilitated by court preparation officer Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng. In her statement, the wife said that Nxumalo was a good and kind person, who served the community with pride and respect. She said that she was not coping well following the incident.

At some stage, she even abandoned her home and lived on the streets and in the wilderness, fearing that the gunmen would return to kill her.

NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says: “Felokwakhe Ndlovu and Mbambo were sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy to commit murder, life imprisonment for murder, 15 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm, and five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition. Nkosiyanda Ndlovu was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit murder, 20 years’ imprisonment for murder, 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm, and five years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of ammunition.”

The NPA welcomes the sentence and commends the work done by the prosecution and investigation teams.

“We hope that sentences of this nature will serve as a deterrent to like-minded individuals,” she concludes.