Madadeni men jailed after ‘brutal, senseless’ killing of Musawenkosi Sithole

Two men have been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars after a KwaZulu-Natal court convicted them in the violent disappearance and presumed murder of Musawenkosi Sithole.

What the court found

The Madadeni Regional Court convicted Thabiso Mokoena and Zama Mhlanga of kidnapping, murder and defeating the administration of justice, receiving an effective life term.

The court heard that on 7 November 2022 Mokoena accused Sithole of stealing rims from his vehicle. Sithole was tied up, forced into a bakkie and driven away. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), he was “kicked, beaten with sticks, gagged with a sock, and struck repeatedly with a stone” before being thrown into a river. His body was never recovered.

Sentences for all four accused

The court imposed the following sentences:

• Mokoena and Mhlanga: five years for kidnapping, life for murder, and five years for defeating justice an effective life term.
• Bandile Radebe and Sanele Hlatshwayo: five years for kidnapping and 15 years for attempted murder an effective 15-year term.

The court also ruled that all four accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Prosecution case and reaction

Prosecutor Sicelo Hlela relied on testimony from a Section 204 witness and friends who saw Sithole being taken away, the NPA said.

“A particularly brutal and senseless act of violence,”

The NPA described the killing in those words and welcomed the outcome, commending the prosecution team for securing convictions. The authority said the sentences should make it clear that “violent crimes of this nature will not be tolerated” and emphasised its commitment to pursuing justice on behalf of victims, their families and affected communities.

Community and legal significance

The convictions and sentences mark a legal closure to a case in which the victim’s body was never found and reflect the court’s findings based on witness testimony and the prosecution’s evidence.