A DURBAN Metro police constable, Ndumiso Simiso Khumalo, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Zinhle Muthwa, in January 2020.
According to the KZN NPA spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, Muthwa and Khumalo were in a relationship, but the couple broke up in 2019 when he suspected her of being unfaithful.
“He had an altercation with her regarding one of her male acquaintances. It was at this stage that he decided to kill her and devised his plan accordingly. In December 2019, Khumalo hired a vehicle and, armed with his service pistol, drove this vehicle to Muthwa’s house in Pinetown on the night of her murder,” explained Ramkisson-Kara.
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Ramkisson-Kara added that, under the guise of purchasing alcohol, Khumalo was able to convince Muthwa to accompany him.
“At some point, he shot and killed her. He drove to a secluded area near uMbumbulu where he dumped her body,” she said.
In court, the senior state advocate, Denardo Macdonald led ballistic evidence that showed the bullet removed from Muthwa matched that of Khumalo’s service pistol. In addition to this, there was also video footage and evidence that proved the vehicle, used in the commission of the murder, was hired by Khumalo.
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Advocate Macdonald also led the testimony of Muthwa’s sister, who told the court how her sister’s death had impacted their family.
While the state argued for life imprisonment, the court deviated and sentenced Khumalo to an effective 20 years imprisonment. The court cited his age and no previous convictions as a substantive and compelling reason for the deviation.
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