The Esikhaleni Regional Court has convicted KwaZulu-Natal hitman Fisokuhle Ntuli on six counts of murder, one attempted murder and four counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
One of the firearms found in his possession was stolen from a police officer from Ezibeleni in Queenstown in 2011.
Ntuli has been on the police’s radar since 2016, while he was “on a reign of terror”.
It took a multidisciplinary operation comprising the province’s political task team, senior public prosecutors, SAPS detectives, Hawks members, forensic experts and Crime Intelligence to catch Ntuli.
He was convicted of the murders of councillor Thami Goodwill Nyembe, Butiza Sandisa Mahlobo, Sphamandla Zungu and brothers Phiwayinkosi Zulu, Mcebisi Zulu and Sibusiso Zulu.
Ntuli also shot and critically wounded Nyembe’s wife, Nolwazi, which resulted in the case of attempted murder.
The team first began investigating Ntuli following the shooting of the Nyembe couple in KwaNongoma, in northern KZN, in 2016.
After intensive investigations, the team linked Ntuli to the other five murders.
“Ntuli’s terror reign was not only in the Northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal as he is also a person of interest in several other cases in Gauteng, many of which are murders, including that of Senzo Meyiwa,” said SAPS spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo.
The defence team has requested that a pre-sentencing report by the parole officer and social worker be presented to the court before handing down a sentence.
The magistrate granted the request, and Ntuli’s sentencing has been set for 9 December 2021.
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