Justice seems elusive as the accused in the Sindiso Magaqa murder pleads guilty
Nearly eight years after the assassination of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, a key breakthrough in the long-running murder case has finally arrived.
One of the four men charged with his killing, Sibusiso Ncengwa, has pleaded guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, admitting to pulling the trigger in the 2017 shooting.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara confirmed that Ncengwa, who was charged alongside Sbonelo Myeza, Mlungisi Ncalane and Mbulelo Mpofana, admitted to the murder of Magaqa and several related crimes during court proceedings on 6 June 2025. His confession marks a pivotal moment in a case that has drawn national attention and exposed deep political tensions in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the NPA, Ncengwa submitted formal admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act. These included admitting to the murder of Magaqa on 13 July 2017 in uMzimkhulu, the attempted murder of Jabulile Msiya, Nonsikelelo Mafa and Nceba Mazongolo, malicious damage to property involving the victims' vehicles, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The court found Ncengwa guilty based on his admissions. His sentencing is scheduled for 30 June 2025. Meanwhile, his co-accused, Myeza and Mpofana, will appear in court on 19 June 2025 for a new indictment following the separation of their trial from Ncengwa's. The fourth accused, Mlungisi Ncalane, has been declared unfit to stand trial and is currently admitted to a psychiatric facility.
Ncengwa's detailed confession outlined the planning, coordination, and execution of the attack, implicating all the accused in a plot that has long been suspected to be politically motivated.
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