A Western Cape stepfather who hired hitmen to kill his adopted daughter has been sentenced to life imprisonment. 

The High Court of South Africa: Western Cape Division sitting in Knysna convicted and sentenced Mboneleli Msila, who masterminded the plan to kill his disabled daughter so that he could benefit from three funeral policies amounting to R600,000. 

The victim, 23-year-old Nosipho Mafana, was shot 15 times in April 2022. 

She was adopted by Msila and his wife when she was 11 years old. 

Msila hired hitmen Mbulelo Jack, Monde Tshemese, and Lungisile Lucas to carry out the hit. 

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Msila received a double life sentence- one for murder and the other for conspiracy to commit murder. 

Tshemese, who carried out the hit, also received two life sentences, as well as five years for illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Jack and Lucas were sentenced to 17 years’ direct imprisonment for conspiracy to commit murder and a further 17 years for murder. The court ordered their sentences to run concurrently, meaning they will each serve 17 years effectively.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the court found that the group had orchestrated a detailed plan, assigning specific roles to each man in a plot fuelled by greed and financial gain.

 “The well-orchestrated plan began in April 2021, when Mfana, under Msila’s instruction, took out a R100,000 funeral policy with Standard Bank. The policy would pay out R200,000 in the event of an unnatural death. Msila was the beneficiary of this funeral policy,” said Ntabazalila.

In February 2022, another policy worth R200,000 was taken out with FNB, this time with Msila’s sister-in-law listed as the beneficiary. A third policy with Capitec was also increased from R50,000 to R100,000 in March 2022, with his wife as the beneficiary.

To execute the killing, Msila first approached his neighbour, offering him R40,000 and a firearm to commit the murder. When the neighbour declined, Msila turned to his nephew and three accomplices, Jack, Tshemese, and Lucas.

On the night of April 30, 2022, the men entered Msila’s property at 15 Cuba Street, KwaNokuthula, Plettenberg Bay. Jack and Tshemese entered the lounge where Mafana was sleeping on a mattress next to two other young women. Jack identified Mafana, and Tshemese opened fire, shooting her 15 times. Lucas stood guard outside.

“The plan fell apart when a tin collector observed the three men when they entered the yard. He saw Lucas standing guard in the yard, and the other two men entered the house. He knew the three men as they lived in the area. He saw flashes of light like firecrackers from the house,” said Ntabazalila.

“He also observed the men leaving the house after numerous shots were fired. He reported the shooting incident to the investigating officer, whom he knew. He identified Jack and Lucas through a photographic identification exercise. He also took the investigating officer to Tshemese’s residence and pointed him out.”

Msila submitted a claim to Standard Bank following Mafana’s death, but the payout was blocked pending an investigation. However, FNB and Capitec paid out R200,000 each to Msila’s sister-in-law and wife.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv. Nicolette Bell commended the prosecution team and the police for their work, calling the crime “barbaric.”

“The cruelty accused one showed in putting together the assassination plan, her funeral policy money, and the participants in that plan for their greedy benefit is indicative of the sick society we live in,” said Ntabazalila.

“Our responsibility is to live up to the challenge and ensure that we send each accused who is involved in such barbaric plans to prison for a long time.”

IOL News

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