Pietermaritzburg – A hitman who murdered a KwaZulu-Natal teacher and a 14-year-old pupil has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Sibongiseni Mdakane had on Monday pleaded guilty and been convicted of the murder of Vusi Ntombela, a teacher at Luvisi Primary school in Nquthu who was gunned down in his classroom by unknown gunmen on June 2. The 47-year-old Ntombela, who was also a local ANC councillor, was killed along with pupil Elizabeth Nhleko, 14, while another pupil, aged 12, was wounded in the attack.
Mdakane was sentenced to life for killing Ntombela, 18 years imprisonment for killing Nhleko, eight years for attempting to kill another pupil, five years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and three years for possession of ammunition without a license.
Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni was pleased with the sentence handed down, saying: “This is a fitting sentence to criminals like Mdakane who have no mercy and do not care about the life of other innocent people.”
The case against his co-accused Mbhekiseni Khambule, who allegedly hired Mdakane for R15,000, was remanded by the Nquthu Magistrate’s Court until 14 July for bail application.
ANA