Durban - The Durban High Court on Friday sentenced two Glebelands hitmen Mxoleleni Hopeson Bhani (30) and Mbeko Duma (31) to life imprisonment for killing Lamontville taxi association chairman, Vela Simon Ndebele (52) on June 11, 2015.
Bhani and Duma shot Ndebele at the meeting in the community hall in Lamontville and fled. The Gunmen were intercepted and arrested. During the arrest, both were found with two pistols each and rounds of ammunition in their possession.
They faced charges of murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Besides the life sentences for murder, the pair received 15 years for possession of the two unlicensed firearms and four years for possession of ammunition. Bhani is already serving a life sentence for killing Sipho Ndovela who was gunned down outside the Umlazi court in 2015.
KwaZulu-Natal acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa applauded the investigating team for securing life sentences. “We will ensure that we put all hitmen linked to Glebelands hostel and taxi-related violence as well as other serious and violent crimes behind bars indefinitely. Our investigators are working around the clock to ensure that there is peace and stability at the hostel and this sentence will bring hope to the community members that police are determined to root-out anyone who is responsible for the volatile situation,” he said.
The Independent on Saturday