Combined 25 years in prison for murders
Justice was served after four people were sentenced for murder on two different cases. In the first case a 30-year-old male was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of murder. The sentence was handed down at the Nigel Magistrate’s Court on March 9, after almost a year of trial. Thirty-year-old …
Justice was served after four people were sentenced for murder on two different cases.
In the first case a 30-year-old male was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of murder.
The sentence was handed down at the Nigel Magistrate’s Court on March 9, after almost a year of trial.
Thirty-year-old Vusimali Samele was found to have stabbed and killed Bettino Mazibuko at Lopeng Street in Duduza.
The incident took place on May 5, 2019.
Duduza CPF protest for justice
It was found that the two had an argument, then a fight broke out and they went outside KgoKgos’s Tavern where Samele pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed Mazibuko.
Samele was arrested by the Duduza police shortly after the incident.
In the other case, the Nigel Magistrate’s Court found three men guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced them to five years each in prison.
The men were found to have participated in a mob justice assault, where another man who was suspected to have broken into a house and stolen clothes was beaten to death.
The three, a father and son, as well as a tenant, were arrested shortly after the assault.
They were all declared unfit to possess firearms as part of the sentence.
Handing down judgement, the magistrate mentioned that it was imperative to send a strong message to the community against taking the law into their own hands. This should be a lesson to others that no one has the right to assault another person or decide on the fate of another person.
The magistrate emphasised the importance of the community to work with the state to ensure that those suspected to have committed crimes are properly dealt with and removed from society through lawful processes.
Both cases were investigated by Det Sgt Nivea Mahlaba who worked tirelessly to ensure that the evidence needed by court was presented lawfully and without unnecessary delay for the court to conclude its cases.
The Duduza Police Station commander Lt Col Bheki Mhlungu applauded the sentence and commended the hard work by the police in arresting the suspects and investigating both cases.
Mhlungu called out to the community to continue working with the police and not to take the law unto themselves.
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