PIETERMARITZBURG – The Pietermaritzburg High Court has handed down a double life sentence to hitman Sabelo Phewa for the murders of former Richmond Municipal Manager Sibusiso Sithole and Amos Ngcobo, marking another significant victory for the South African Police Service’s Political Killings Task Team.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola welcomed the court’s decision, which saw Phewa convicted on multiple charges stemming from a complex web of political violence and corruption that has plagued KwaZulu-Natal municipalities.
The case centers around the brutal assassination of Sibusiso Sithole, who was gunned down at the Richmond Licensing office in 2017 while en route to a crucial council meeting. At the time of his death, Sithole was actively investigating fraud and corruption involving municipal tenders and kickbacks within the Richmond Local Municipality.
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The SAPS Political Killings Task Team assumed control of the investigation in 2018, leading to Phewa’s eventual arrest. The firearm found in Phewa’s possession was forensically linked to several other murders, including that of Ngcobo, whose wife had orchestrated his killing before later turning state witness and receiving a five-year prison sentence.
The court imposed a comprehensive sentence on Phewa, including life imprisonment for both the Sithole and Ngcobo murders, five years for the attempted murder of police officers during his arrest, fifteen years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, and an additional five years for unlawful possession of ammunition.
Masemola praised the task team’s work, stating that the conviction demonstrates their commitment to bringing justice to families affected by political violence. He noted that the specialised unit has now secured more than thirty life sentences for various hitmen and those who ordered political assassinations.
