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Elona Sombulula was gunned down in Ngcobo.
Image for illustrative purposes. Picture: iStock
Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has condemned the murder of a 30-year-old prosecutor in the Eastern Cape.
Elona Sombulula, a young prosecutor, was gunned down earlier this week in Ngcobo.
Sombulula joined the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) through its aspirant prosecutor programme in 2022 and was a regional court prosecutor.
Kubayi’s spokesperson, Terence Manase, said Kubayi is “deeply saddened” by Sombulula’s death.
“Minister Kubayi condemns this senseless murder in the strongest possible terms. Mr Sombulula was shot and killed on the evening of Tuesday, 29 April 2025, under mysterious circumstances. The motive for the killing remains unknown and is currently the subject of an active investigation.”
Kubayi has extended her heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sombulula.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our employee, whose life was cut short far too soon”.
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The minister has called on all law enforcement agencies to work with urgency and diligence to uncover the circumstances surrounding Sombulula’s death and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“We will not allow such acts of violence to intimidate or undermine the work of the NPA.”
The Justice Ministry said it stands in solidarity with the NPA and all prosecutors who continue to “serve the public with integrity and courage under often difficult and dangerous conditions.”
The Aspirant Prosecutor Programme is a year-long NPA internship that provides practical training to law graduates, preparing them for entry-level prosecutorial roles and strengthening capacity in lower courts.
Last year, a South African Revenue Services (Sars) lawyer was shot three times in an apparent assassination attempt in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Coreth Naudé was arriving at her hotel parking lot in Durban North, near the Gateway shopping centre, on Thursday afternoon when two gunmen opened fire, wounding her three times in the upper body, neck and face.
Naudé was acting for Sars in a tax inquiry involving controversial businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, her company, Royal AM Football Club, and other entities when she was shot.
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