The assailants set up an ambush for the man on his route to work.
Four people accused of the murder of an Alfred Duma Municipality employee have been sentenced to life in prison, six years after committing the heinous crime.
Nomaswazi Angel Shabalala, Mondli Mabaso, Mduduzi James Zakes Njuza, and Nqobile Brown Ngcobo appeared in the Madadeni Regional Court, where the sentence was handed down.
Trial
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the murder occurred in February 2019 in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
“The deceased, Simingaye Oscar Hlatshwayo, was employed as an Executive Director: Technical Services at the Alfred Duma Municipality. Shabalala worked there as well. Before the incident, Shabalala and the others decided to kill Hlatshwayo.”
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In the state’s case, Advocate Cyril Selepe led the evidence of two Section 204 witnesses, video footage, cellphone evidence and ballistic reports.
Sentence
Ramkisson-Kara said in aggravation of sentence, Selepe handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Hlatshwayo’s wife and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Victoria Griffiths.
“In her statement, the woman said that her husband was her best friend and the breadwinner of their family. She said that he took care of them, but even provided for their extended family members. She said that she and her children are struggling to cope with the loss.
“All four of the accused were sentenced accordingly and declared unfit to possess a firearm,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Murder
According to Ramkisson-Kara, Hlatshwayo left his home for work in a motor vehicle when he was ambushed.
“The assailants set up an ambush on his route to work. This was done at a busy intersection with a traffic signal, where motor vehicles were forced to navigate slowly.
“They fired several shots at the motor vehicle driven by Hlatshwayo. He was struck by the gunfire and died at the scene due to gunshot wounds to the head and chest,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The NPA welcomed the sentence.
“We commend the successful partnership between the prosecution and our partners in law enforcement. We trust that sentences of this nature will deter like-minded individuals.”
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