Two cousins have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court for the murder of Nduduzo Ndlovu, who was killed in a case of mistaken identity in the Himeville area in February 2023.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, cousins Mthokozisi Ngwane, 34, and Sanele Mqondisi Ngwane,37, travelled to Himeville to search for an individual they intended to kill.
However, in a case of mistaken identity, they fatally shot Ndlovu instead.
Following the shooting, the pair fled the scene. However, witnesses managed to record the registration number of the vehicle they were travelling in and provided the information to the police, leading to the arrest of the cousins.
Police recovered two firearms from the men during their arrest, with ballistic evidence later linking one of the firearms to Ndlovu’s murder. The cousins were convicted on charges of murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
In addition to life imprisonment for murder, each accused was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as six years and 12 months’ imprisonment for the two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition.
“The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment for each accused,” Ramkisson-Kara explained.
She further said the court declared both men unfit to possess firearms.
Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomed the sentence, stating: “The sentence demonstrates NPA’s continued commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring perpetrators of violent crime are held accountable for their actions.”
