LTT family outraged after killer gets 25 years
Outrage as Tshifhango’s family slams the justice system, saying the 25-year sentence for his killer is not true justice.
LIMPOPO – The family of late Louis Trichardt taxi owner and pastor Samuel Tshifhango has expressed disappointment with the justice system after his killer was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Tshifhango, who chaired the Louis Trichardt Musina Taxi Association, was shot dead at the gates of his home in February 2020 amid ongoing disputes over lucrative taxi routes with rival associations, including the Makhado Long Distance Taxi Association (Malta), the Beitbridge Taxi Association (BTA), and the Musina-Sibasa Polokwane Taxi Association.
On September 17, the Polokwane High Court sentenced Nkosinathi Sga Hadebe (34) from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, following a plea agreement.
Hadebe was convicted of two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms, and possession of ammunition. The sentences for the attempted murder and firearm-related charges will run concurrently with the murder sentences, giving him an effective 25 years in prison. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The court also heard that in July 2018, Hadebe fatally shot taxi owner Edward Mosiamo (31) near the Botlokwa Shopping Complex in another incident linked to taxi violence.
Tshifhango was killed in 2020 while driving with his wife, who was wounded during the attack.
After sentencing, Tshifhango’s daughter, Mukundi, voiced her dismay. “We’re shocked and disappointed. For me, it means he was found not guilty because, despite pleading guilty, he got a minimum sentence. That’s effectively not being found guilty,” she said.
She added that the family felt the punishment did not reflect the number of lives lost and the suffering endured by victims’ families. “The interests of the victims were overshadowed. His life was worthless. There was no consideration of his humanity by the court,” she said, describing the trial as a secondary trauma.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended the police and the Limpopo tracking team for their work.
“This sentence sends a clear message that taxi violence will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will face the full might of the law,” she said.
