DURBAN The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula welcomed the hefty sentences handed down to five Mbongolwane killers. This will serve as a warning to others, that conflicts cannot be solved through bloodshed. We encourage communities to solve their disputes amicable and not to resort in acts of violence which results in unnecessary deaths. In a Province that his plagued with a high murder rate, fuelled by such inter-group conflicts, these convictions and sentences are a welcome indication of things to come, he said.

Yesterday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court convicted and sentenced five men accused of murder to four terms of life imprisonment each for four counts of murder. They were further sentenced to eight years each for attempted murder and two years each for arson. Siyathemba Ntshangase (34), Mbingelelwa Ntshangase (62), Mkhumbuzeni Ntshangase (55), Zakhele Ntshangase (29) and Mzweleni Ntshangase (38) were arrested following an attack on the Ntshangase family at Mbongolwane in 2017.

On 6 August 2017 at 02:00, the victims were sleeping at their home when they were attacked by the suspects who were known to them. During the attack, their home was set alight and they were shot at. Four of the victims were killed that morning whilst one was injured and transported to hospital for treatment. A criminal docket with four counts of murder, one attempted murder as well as arson was opened at the Mbongolwane police station for further investigation. A team of seasoned investigators was assembled by police management to investigate the killings. Following a thorough and diligent probe, the investigation team arrested five suspects who were involved in the attack.

Source: South African Police Service