KWAZULU-NATAL Xolani Mzimela (32), and Bhekumuzi Ntuli (52), who were convicted for a deadly armed robbery, with aggravating circumstances, by the Mthunzini High Court on 17October 2019, have been sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday, 23October 2019.

The stiff sentence emanates from an incident on 12 December 2016, at about 08:15 where security guards were accosted by a heavily armed group of suspects whilst they were collecting cash at a service station along the N2 freeway near Empangeni. Shots were fired resulting in a 31-year-old security guard, Blessing Mncwango, being fatally wounded.

The group then made-off with the deceased’s firearm and an undisclosed amount of cash. The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime relentless Investigation, resulted in the arrest of Mzimela at Esikhaleni Township, shortly after the incident occurred. Two unlicensed firearms with ammunition were recovered from Mzimela’s possession. Meanwhile, Ntuli was arrested following another cash-in-transit robbery in Pinetown on the 31 March 2017.

Both convicts have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 20 years for robbery, with aggravating circumstances, and 5 years for attempted murder. Mzimela was slapped with an additional (4) year sentence for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The court has ordered that the sentences are to run concurrently.

Source: South African Police Service