WITH the excess of violent crimes against women and children in South Africa, the sentencing of 29-year-old Malangeni resident Siyabonga Innocent Mkhize comes as a welcome relief.

Mkhize appeared in the Scottburgh Regional Court on Thursday, June 1, when he was convicted of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

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During April of 2015, four men had entered a tuck shop in Harringworth under the pretext of buying cigarettes and threatened 64-year-old business owner Fikeli Jwara with a gun.

“They took her cellphone and robbed the store of cigarettes and airtime,” said Scottburgh SAPS communications officer, Captain Vincent Pandarum.

Before fleeing the scene on foot, they shot Ms Jwara, who died at the scene. A case of business robbery registered by the Umzinto SAPS for investigation was assigned to Detective Warrant Officer Brian Khoza.

Mkhize was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Ms Jwara. He was further sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for the robbery. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Commending Det W/O Khoza on the high standard of the investigation which resulted in the conviction and sentencing of murderer Mkhize, Major-General Sethenya Nxamagele, the Ugu Cluster commander said: “I hope this serves as a warning to the criminal world that crime does not pay.

We will do all in our power to remove criminals from our midst, especially those committing violent crimes against our vulnerable woman and children. We will strive to root out gender-based violence in our communities.”

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