SOUTH AFRICA: Police to Arraign Murderer, as Another Bags Life Jail

Police in Nelspruit, South Africa, are set to arraign a murder suspect over murder.
The 25-year-old man will, on Wednesday, appear before the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 17 February 2021, following his arrest on Monday, 15 February 2021 at Standerton, over alleged murder he commuted in December 2017, at Emzinoni near Bethal.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said, “On the said day, the suspect was allegedly involved in a heated argument with another man at a tarven where they had a fight, at which the other man who was 25-years-old, was fatally stabbed.
“The suspect then reportedly fled the scene and he had been in hiding ever since. Police resiliently conducted their investigation where they eventually made a breakthrough on Monday hence the court appearance of the suspect.”
In the meantime, Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has welcomed a hefty sentence meted against a 29-year-old murderer.
Police spokesperson said the sentence was handed down on Wednesday, 10 February 2021, by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting at Breyten.
Brigadier Hlathi said the accused, Rudolph Ngwenya’s sentencing stems from an incident in which he was positively fingered in taking the life of 48-year-old Mapule Jaquiline Thekiso.
“The victim was reportedly staying at Vosman and the court heard how she mysteriously went missing, at which on 18 November 2019, she was reported as such at the local police station. Police were informed that her car was gone as well and the investigation focused on its disappearance as well.
Ngwenya, in the meantime is said to have killed her and dumped her body in a dam at Emzinoni before he fled the scene with her vehicle.
“On 17 November 2019, her lifeless body was discovered from the said dam where police opened a murder case and proceeded with their investigations.
“Ngwenya, who is from Calcutta area near Hazyview, continued to live a normal life as if nothing happened. He even had no shame in driving around with the victim’s car and pretended to be the rightful owner, though he knew very well that the vehicle was acquired through evil means.
“Her family, on the other hand had to deal with devastation as they did not know her whereabouts. On 20 December 2019, police caught up with Ngwenya at Oakley Trust in Calcutta driving her vehicle. “
“They (police) then arrested him for being in possession of a vehicle suspected to have been stolen, which was also in actual fact in the centre of their investigation. Since his arrest, Ngwenya was never granted bail but remained in custody until his sentencing.
“Overwhelming evidence presented by the state in court, linking Ngwenya to the murder case as well as Thekiso’s sudden disappearance, forced him to plead guilty on all three counts, murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances and theft hence his sentence as follows:
“On the murder charge, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, whereas for robbery with aggravated circumstances, Ngwenya was sentenced to 15 years Imprisonment.
“On the count of theft, he was sentence to five years.
The court has ordered that the robbery, as well as theft charges will run concurrently with the murder charge for the purpose of sentencing.”
General Zuma also commended the work done by the investigation team, the Prosecution as well as the Judiciary which has led to the well-deserved sentence.