The Pietermaritzburg High Court in South Africa has handed a double life sentence to convicted hitman Sabelo Phewa, bringing closure to two politically charged murders that rattled KwaZulu-Natal.
Phewa was found guilty of murdering former Richmond Local Municipality manager Sibusiso Sithole, who was shot dead in 2017 at the Richmond Licensing office. Sithole had been on his way to a council meeting to discuss matters linked to fraud and corruption he was investigating at the municipality. His work on exposing kickbacks and irregular tenders is believed to have put a target on his back.
The court also found Phewa guilty of murdering businessman Amos Ngcobo. Investigations revealed that Ngcobo’s wife had ordered the hit. She later turned state witness and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The South African Police Service’s Political Killings Task Team took over the investigations in 2018. The breakthrough came after Phewa’s arrest, when a firearm found in his possession was forensically linked to several killings.
Phewa’s sentence was confirmed as follows: life imprisonment for the murder of Sithole, life imprisonment for the murder of Ngcobo, five years for attempted murder of police officers during his arrest, 15 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, and five years for unlawful possession of ammunition.
The Political Killings Task Team welcomed the ruling, saying it reflects the seriousness with which courts are treating politically motivated violence.
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