FAMILY members and community leaders have welcomed a 20-year sentence handed down at the Durban Magistrate’s Court against a man who killed and buried his partner in a shallow grave.

Mandla Zuma (49) was found guilty of the murder of Nonhlanhla Nhleko, whose body was discovered buried in a shallow grave outside their shack on Coedmore Road near Yellowwood Park in January, following her sudden disappearance in December 2024.

Also read: Suspect to appear in court for Yellowwood Park woman’s murder

Zuma appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on October 29 for sentencing.

Community leaders speak out after Zuma’s conviction

Area committee member Mbongiseni Mazibuko said the conviction will send a clear message to the perpetrators of crime that such barbaric acts of violence cannot be tolerated in the community.

“It has been a long and harrowing journey for the victim’s family and for members of the public who witnessed the horrific discovery of Nhleko’s body in a shallow grave. I hope the family will now find some measure of closure, as justice has finally been served.

“The residents of Coedmore have faithfully attended court proceedings since the accused first appeared in court, and we deeply appreciate their continued support for the victim’s family,” said Mazibuko.

However, another community member, who asked to remain anonymous, said that a 20-year conviction was merely a slap on the wrist.

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“Murder is such a serious offence. The sentence is too light, especially when you consider the cruelty he inflicted on the deceased. How can someone like that be reintegrated into the community? He poses a real danger to the residents,” she said.

The victim’s body was exhumed in January this year

Her body was exhumed in January after residents raised concerns about her sudden disappearance, as she had not been seen in the community for some time.

This sparked suspicion among locals. The residents allegedly pressured Zuma to reveal what had happened to his partner, and he eventually confessed to burying her in a shallow grave. Police were then called in to assist with the exhumation of Nhleko’s body.

During his previous court appearance on August 15, his legal representative told the court that on the day of the incident, the accused and his partner had an altercation.

The defence argued that the accused was acting in self-defence when he struck the victim once on the head with a stick.

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