Johannesburg – The Virginia High Court in the Free State on Friday convicted and sentenced the wife of a police officer to 25 years imprisonment for his murder.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson, Captain Philani Nkwalase, said Nomalanga Paulinah Concoshi, 40, the wife of the late Constable James Mbuyiselo, and her two accomplices, Papiki Jack Mateise, 32, and Bassie Ndude, 27, were found guilty on Thursday. Concoshi was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on Friday.
"Mateise will spend the rest of his life behind bars while Ndude, was handed a 25-year jail term and a further three years for theft. Both his sentences will not run concurrently," said Nkwalase.
Nkwalase said the fourth accused, Kopano Samuel Mojanaga, 20, had pleaded guilty on January 31.
"Mojanaga, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for murder, of which five years was suspended, and three years for theft and both his sentences will run concurrently."
The suspects were arrested after the half-naked body of Constable James Mbuyiselo was found in his car on the M4 road between Riebeckstad and Thabong in January 2016. He had suffocation marks on his neck and a wound below his ear.