Glebelands Hostel murder accused sentenced to life
The accused had approached the victim under the pretence of coming for a purchase at her place of business.
Khayelihle Mroza Mbuthuma was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Durban Regional Court for murder. Mbuthuma had been sought by the police in connection with the spate of murders at the hostel.
KwaZulu-Natal acting provincial commissioner Major-General Bheki Langa praised the team of SAPS officers for their hard work and commitment in making sure Mbuthuma received a deserving sentence.
“We were blamed and not given enough time to thoroughly investigate these cases. Now our hard work yielded positive results and the sentence will serve as a warning to other criminals who terrorise hostel residents,” he said.
The 28-year-old accused was found guilty of killing Sbongile Mtshali and was convicted on March 29.
He was arrested last year following an intelligence-driven operation by a multidisciplinary team of SAPS officers.
Mbuthuma was wanted for the murder of Mtshali on July 26, 2017. According to the police, the murder took place at around 8 pm at the Glebelands Hostel, Mlazi, Durban, in a room Mtshali used for running a tuck shop.
“She was approached by two unknown men pretending to be customers. The suspects opened fire, fatally wounding Mtshali before fleeing the crime scene on foot. She sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest and was declared dead at the scene,” KZN SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane.
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