Hefty sentence for Manguzi criminals
Mtubatuba Regional Court hands down hefty sentence to three men convicted of crimes committed in the Manguzi area, north of KZN
The Mtubatuba Regional Court last week convicted and sentenced three men to life imprisonment plus an additional 30 years each.
Mario Sithole (34), Zakhele Khathwayo (31) and Skhumbuzo Hadebe (26) were found guilty on charges of murder and two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The offences were committed in August and November 2022 in the Manguzi area.
Sithole, a Mozambican national, committed these offences with his accomplices after illegally crossing the border into South Africa.
The court heard that on 1 August 2022, the deceased, Xolani Mbatha, a security guard employed by a private security company, was on duty when he was accosted by the accused.
They fatally shot him and stole his service firearm before fleeing the scene.
On 22 November 2022, the trio committed a house robbery in the Manguzi area.
The court was told that after the trio heard that the victim had a substantial amount of money – approximately R250 000 – at his residence, they went to the house and used force and violence to subdue their victim before robbing him of the money and other belongings.
The accused were arrested in Pretoria two months later following their involvement in another offence.
During the trial, deputy director of public prosecutions, Advocate Cyril Selepe, led the State’s case, which included the testimony of a Section 204 witness, evidence arising from a pointing out, and ballistic evidence linking the accused to the crimes.
In her victim impact statement, the deceased’s wife described the profound emotional and psychological impact of her husband’s death on her and their children.
She indicated that her life has been significantly disrupted and that her health has deteriorated, requiring chronic medication.
On top of the sentence, Sithole was sentenced to six months for being an illegal immigrant.
The court further ordered that he be deported to Mozambique upon completion of his sentence.
The men were also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 060 784 2695
Instagram – zululand_observer
TikTok – @zululand_observer
