Off-Duty Officer Gets 15 Years for Murder in Tavern Bucket Dispute

A former South African Police Service (SAPS) sergeant has been sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for the murder of an unarmed man during a scuffle that began over a bucket outside a tavern in Ingwavuma, northern KwaZulu-Natal. The Mtubatuba Regional Court found Vusumuzi Jetro Thabethe, 45, guilty of a crime the state said betrayed the very laws he was sworn to uphold.

The tragic incident occurred on the evening of 29 September 2024. Thabethe, off duty at the time, arrived at a tavern and walked to a table where Sanele Sihlongonyane, 40, was seated with friends. Without explanation, Thabethe picked up Sihlongonyane’s bucket, took it outside, and placed it in his car. When Sihlongonyane followed to retrieve it, Thabethe assaulted him, and a physical fight broke out.

A Fatal Escalation and a Surrender

During the struggle, Thabethe drew his SAPS-issued firearm, firing a warning shot into the ground. When Sihlongonyane asked why he was shooting, Thabethe fired again, this time striking the victim in the face. He then got into his vehicle, fired a third shot into the air, and drove away. Bystanders rushed Sihlongonyane to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Thabethe drove directly to the Ingwavuma police station, handed himself over with his firearm, and reported the shooting. He was subsequently arrested.

State Evidence and a Grieving Family

In court, Prosecutor Phumlani Thembalethu Khoza presented two eyewitnesses, a pathologist, and a ballistic expert who matched Thabethe’s firearm to the cartridge at the scene. A victim impact statement from Sihlongonyane’s aunt, who raised him, described her profound grief, stating she considered him a son and was struggling to come to terms with his death.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, stating, “The accused in this matter was a police official and was therefore obligated to uphold the law and not transgress it.” Thabethe was also declared unfit to ever possess a firearm.

The case stands as a grim reminder of lethal violence stemming from minor disputes and the profound breach of trust when an officer, meant to protect life, becomes the perpetrator.