JUST IN: Magaqa's killer sentenced
Magaqa was shot in July 2017 and succumbed to his injuries after spending time in the hospital. Picture: Supplied
One of the men who killed former ANCYL secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa has been sentenced to 25 years for murder.
Sibusiso Ncengwa admitted that he was part of a group of men who were paid R120 000 to kill Magaqa in 2017.
His lawyers had pleaded for leniency. They argued that he had apologised to the Magaqa family and had shown remorse for his deeds.
Ncengwa is also serving time in prison for other crimes unrelated to Magaqa's murder. These include armed robberies.
NOW READ: Malatji condemns alleged involvement of ANC members in Magaqa murder
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
34 minutes ago
- IOL News
Claims that Senzo Mchunu has alleged ties with crime syndicates threatens ANC's renewal project in KZN
Left: Police Minister Senzo Mchunu accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhhlanhla Mkhwanazi and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola during one of the police events in the province. Image: Supplied A senior ANC member in KwaZulu-Natal said that the claims of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's alleged relationship with crime syndicates will negatively impact the party's renewal project in the province. On Sunday, provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu allegedly abused his ministerial powers to shield a member of a crime syndicate in Gauteng who was arrested for three attempted murders. The ANC insider said that if these allegations proven to be true, the party's renewal campaign will suffer a serious political blow in the province. The regional leader, who has been appointed to one of the task teams that were recently announced by the provincial party leadership, said if there was evidence to back these claims and if the president chose not to remove Mchunu from his position, the party will suffer serious consequences. 'This is a serious problem for us in the province, particularly as regional task teams. The party is banking on us to bring back all the party members that voted for other parties in the last year's general elections. "The problem we will face will be how to defend Mchunu and dismiss such serious allegations coming from a credible person like Mkhwanazi. It will be difficult not to believe what Mkhwanazi has said but let's wait for the national leadership to see how it handles the matter. I'm sure they will also think about the political implications of this,' said insider. The ANC in the province has recently appointed all 11 regional task teams and marshalled them to win municipalities for the party in the next year's local government elections. The party's top brass has reportedly summoned Mchunu to Luthuli House to explain his side of the story. President Cyril Ramaphosa was reportedly enroute from the BRICS summit in Brazil to deal with the matter which he described as a grave national security concern. Mkhwanazi on Sunday claimed Mchunu's real reason for disbanding the police's political killings unit was because it assisted in dismantling a drug cartel in Gauteng. He said last year he received a request from Gauteng's police organised crime unit for assistance in arresting drug cartel suspects whom the unit had discovered were working with top politicians in parliament. He stated that the unit arrested a businessman and police discovered text messages between the minister and the suspect. He further stated that the Minister's associate, also sent a message to the suspect informing him that he had arranged a meeting between the minister and the Deputy National Commissioner from Crime Prevention, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya to find a solution. Mchunu and Sibiya both dismissed the rumours as baseless.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Justice Served: 25 years for the murder of ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa
Sibusiso Ncengwa, who was convicted after confessing to the murder of ANCYL leader Sindiso Magaqa was sentenced to a 25 year prison term on Monday at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Image: Bongani Hans: Independent Media The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the family of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa have welcomed the 25 year prison sentence given to a man convicted of his murder. Judge Nontuthuzelo Mlaba handed down a sentence, which was a deviation from the life sentence, to Sibusiso Ncengwa at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. Mlaba sentenced Ncengwa, who is already serving a lengthy sentence for unrelated crimes, to 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder, 25 years for murder, and short terms for attempted murder, malicious damage to property, being in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition. All sentences will run concurrently. Ncengwa is now expected to testify against the two other accused, who were allegedly present during Magaqa's shooting on July 13, 2017. 'Indeed, the NPA is glad and we are happy for the sentence passed in court today, which will be effectively 25 years imprisonment,' said NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara. Ncengwa's two accomplices were former police officer Sibonelo Myeza and businessman Mbulelo Mpofana. The third accomplice, Mlungisi Ncalane, will not see his day in court as he had been declared mentally unfit to stand trial and has been confined to a mental institution. Another alleged accomplice, Jabulani Mdunge, who allegedly sprayed Magaqa and others with AK-47 bullets, died in a shootout with police. Myeza and Mpofana had been served with an indictment to appear at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on October 6. 'The offences were very serious,' said Ramkisson-Kara. Ramkisson-Kara said police will have to investigate former senior Mzimkhulu Municipality officials whom Ncengwa implicated in his affidavit as having conspired and hired hitmen to kill Magaqa. One of the alleged conspirators was the late former Mzimkhulu mayor, Mluleki Ndobe, who was later elected as the ANC provincial treasurer after the murder. Ndobe died on November 6, 2020. Had it not been for his admission of guilt and offer to testify for the state, having already served eight years in detention for this matter, and having apologised to Magaqa's family, Ncengwa would have received a life term, which was the minimum sentence appropriate for a crime of this nature. Judge Mlaba accepted the deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence, which Ncengwa's defense team and the state agreed on. Lwazi Magaqa, a spokesperson for the Magaqa family, told the media that the family was happy, although the punishment would not bring Magaqa back to life. 'The day we have been waiting for, the sentencing of the hitman has finally arrived. 'As the family, we see the light, and the sentence is fit for (such a) brutal offence. 'Sindiso's children are still without a father, his mother is still without a son, as the family we still don't have a brother, and the ANC is still without its member,' said Magaqa. He said the sentence brought hope that the 'big fish', who had a reason to eliminate Magaqa, would soon be brought to book. Two councillors, Jabulile Msiya and Nonsikelelo Mafa, who were with Magaqa during the attack at a car wash, were also shot but survived. 'We have been crying for justice to be served, and this is only the beginning of what will follow. 'Magaqa's mother always cries, this sentence might help her to find closure,' said Msiya. During the mitigation of his sentence last week, Ncengwa confessed that a day before the shooting, he visited Mzimkhulu from Durban to confirm Magaqa's identity. On the day of the murder, he spotted Magaqa arriving at the car wash he often frequented.
Eyewitness News
2 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Tenderpreneur with alleged links to underworld key figure in Mkhwanazi's explosive allegations
JOHANNESBURG - A tenderpreneur with alleged links to the underworld and political backing is a key figure in the explosive allegations set out by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. In an unprecedented move, Mkhwanazi held a press briefing in Durban on Sunday where he made several damning allegations against high-ranking police officials and police minister Senzo Mchunu. Mkhwanazi alleges that Vusumuzi 'Cat' Matlala – a man who scored an almost R400 million police tender is at the centre of a syndicate in Gauteng which has captured organised crime officials. News24 investigative journalist, Jeff Wicks, has for the past three years followed the murky trail of the tender tycoon for his alleged involvement in the criminal underworld and how he scored multi-million-rand health and police tenders. Wicks outlines what his investigations into Matlala uncovered. 'He first appeared on our radar in 2022 when we found that he'd been making money through the Tembisa hospital scandal, first exposed by Babita Deokaran. He had five shell companies that were part of a larger extraction syndicate. Mr Matlala reinvented himself midway through last year and ended up getting a R360 million health services tender from the police. Essentially, the same organisation that's investigating him for procurement fraud in the Tembisa matter is now paying him to do their health services.' Matalala was arrested earlier this year in connection with an alleged hit on his socialite ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane. He is expected back in court on Friday. ALSO READ: ANC notes Mkhwanazi's allegations with grave concern
