It was the fifth attack in the rural municipality of Silao in the last four months, the prosecutor’s office said.
Photo: Image by Flickr
Life in prison! Two men get heavy sentences for KILLING KZN taxi bosses
KZN SAPS says one of the victims was standing next to his vehicle at a petrol station when two armed men showed up and shot at him
It was the fifth attack in the rural municipality of Silao in the last four months, the prosecutor’s office said.
Photo: Image by Flickr
Two convicted hitmen have each been handed at least two life terms in prison for killing two taxi bosses in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the South African Police Service (SAPS) has said. Makhimba Buthelezi (33) and Thabani Ngwenya (36) were sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday, 25 March 2022. The pair also received 14 years imprisonment for charges of attempted murder.
In addition, Buthelezi was also sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearm and two years for possession of ammunition.
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KZN HITMEN TARGETING TAXI OWNERS
According to SAPS KZN, 47-year-old Mzokhona Dlame was at his Nongoma homestead when he was accosted by two armed men who then fired shots at him He was declared dead at the scene after sustaining gunshot wounds to the head, neck and thigh. Police say Dlame was with another taxi owner when he was attacked, but the man managed to escape unharmed. A murder and attempted murder case was subsequently opened.
“During August 2018, Buthelezi was arrested at Maphophoma area in Nongoma. He was found in possession of a firearm with nine rounds of ammunition. Ngwenya was arrested in Benoni when he attended another case where he was arrested for unlawful possession of firearm. Both accused were tried in court. During the investigation, it was established that both accused are also linked to another case of murder and attempted murder that occurred at Nongoma in 2017,” said SAPS KZN spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala.
In another incident, 66-year-old Mthuthuzeli Mchunu was standing next to his vehicle at a petrol station in October 2017 when two armed men approached him. They shot him in the head and chest and was subsequently taken to hospital where he was declared dead.
In addition to being a taxi owner, Mchunu was also the chairperson of the Nongoma taxi association. Police say a bystander was shot in the leg and was also taken to hospital. Mchunu was a taxi owner and the chairperson of the Nongoma taxi association.
