Pinetown Regional Court learned on Thursday morning that the convicted killer of ANC councillor Sibusiso Maphumulo is currently serving life sentences for three murders and an attempted murder in a separate case.

Nkosingiphile Gumede, 37, from Mandeni, was convicted on Wednesday alongside Sthabiso Thusi and Scelokwakhe Xulu for violent robberies, attempted murders, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.

The trio had been targeting individuals withdrawing large amounts of money from ATMs, whom they would then rob and shoot.

According to the evidence of Constable Slindile Madinane from the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), the 9mm Girsan gun that Gumede used to kill Maphumulo in October 2018 was used in the robberies and the killings of Lungelo Hadebe in November 2018 and Sanele Sanga in May 2019.

In December 2022, Gumede was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Maphumulo, Hadebe, and Sanga.

Additionally, the gun was used in the attempted murders that Gumede committed with his co-accuseds Xulu and Thusi. 

Constable Madinane was assigned to investigate the case, despite the PKTT’s focus on politically motivated murders, due to a ballistic link to the murders of Maphumulo, Hadebe, and Sanga.

“The firearm, upon being checked and analysed by the ballistics section, was found to have been fired in both these cases,” Constable Madinane explained, highlighting the shared weapon as the critical connection.

Captain Solomon Modisane, a senior analyst, confirmed that the cartridges found at the crime scenes were discharged from the same weapon responsible for the deaths of Maphumulo and others.

The firearm was recovered by police officers from Sundumbili police station following reports of a suspicious vehicle with armed occupants at Sundumbili Plaza.

Upon stopping and approaching the vehicle, Gumede was observed placing an item into the glove compartment. A subsequent search of the glove compartment revealed the gun, loaded with 15 live rounds of ammunition.

Meanwhile, Crime Intelligence officer Thulani Thango is set to be sentenced in November.

He was found guilty of defeating the administration of justice by helping former ANC councillor Mthokozisi Nojiyeza evade arrest for Maphumulo’s murder.

Nojiyeza, who was wanted by the PKTT, was able to avoid arrest for a few hours with Thango’s assistance. However, the task team eventually found him inside an Audi TT, which belonged to his lawyer, Lunga Peter.

The Audi was parked at Durban Central police station, where Peter had arranged with the team to hand over Nojiyeza. Peter was also charged alongside Thango but died during the trial. Nojiyeza’s case was struck off the roll. 

In the case of robberies, the court was scheduled to sentence the trio on Thursday morning; however, Xulu requested a pre-sentence report.

This request came after senior prosecutor advocate Elvis Gcweka informed the court that Xulu has two previous convictions, including an assault and an R8,000 fine for exceeding the speed limit.

On Wednesday, Xulu had complained of feeling unwell and requested Magistrate Muntukayise Khumalo to postpone his sentencing to Friday instead of Thursday so he could attend the prison hospital. 

Khumalo, however, assured him that Thursday’s proceedings would conclude early, allowing him to go to the hospital.

When Xulu persisted in his request, Khumalo stated: “When I am done with you, I will make an order so you can be taken to the hospital.”

The request came after the court found them guilty. Their sentencing was postponed to early December. 

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za

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