AFTER TWO whole years, justice has finally been served to a murder victim in an attempted robbery.
Lethu Thulani Mngambi (24), Ndumiso Peacemaker Mbutho (25) and Mavela Hendrick Gumede (22) appeared in the Scottburgh Regional Court recently, where they were convicted and sentenced for their crimes committed on February 27, 2015.
A couple walking along the N2 freeway at Sezela was approached by three men.
The boyfriend suspected something was wrong and told his girlfriend to run away while she still had the chance.
When she ran across the freeway, she heard a gunshot and ran straight into the path of a car which she did not see approaching.
The woman was run over and suffered injuries to her right leg.
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“She looked for her boyfriend and saw him lying motionless at the roadside. Lindani Mjoka (24) had been shot in the chest and died at the scene,” said Scottburgh SAPS communications officer, Captain Vincent Pandarum.
Detective Constable Dillon Khamisa of Scottburgh SAPS investigated the case of murder.
Const Khamisa teamed up with Detective Sergeant Blessing Ngcobo and Detective Constable Erasmus Mbutho of the Umzinto SAPS Detective Service as well as a member of the Scottburgh Crime Intelligence and followed up on intelligence received.
They managed to locate and arrest two of the suspects, Mngambi and Gumede, in Umlazi and later, Mbutho in Mistake Farm, Umzinto, for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
It was established after ballistic tests that the same gun had been used in the murder.
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Mngambi and Gumede were convicted of murder and attempted robbery. For the murder they were sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment and eight years’ imprisonment for the attempted robbery.
The sentences are to run concurrently. Mbutho was convicted of being in unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
“The investigating officer’s hard work and commitment has borne fruit. Despite there being no independent witnesses to the murder, all three accused were identified, located and arrested,” said Major-General Sethenya Agnes Nxamagele, the Ugu Cluster commander.
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