BLOEMFONTEIN – Two convicted contract killers have been sentenced to life imprisonment after the Bloemfontein High Court found them guilty of carrying out a murder-for-hire plot that claimed one man’s life and left another fighting for survival.
Nkwebe Seatile (32) and Tlotlisang Monyane (34) were sentenced on Friday 17 July after being convicted of the murder of 52-year-old Andries Mgoqi. They also received additional prison terms for attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
The sentences conclude an intensive investigation by the South African Police Service’s Provincial Organised Crime Unit, the Mangaung Trio Task Team and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which uncovered what investigators described as a contract killing operation.
Two shootings linked by investigators
The case began on 28 January 2024 when a 53-year-old man was lured from a nightclub in Bloemfontein. A confrontation followed outside the venue before one of the assailants drew a firearm and fired several shots, striking the victim in the face.
The man survived the attack, prompting an attempted murder investigation that was later transferred to the Provincial Organised Crime Unit under Detective Sergeant Lethola Taiwe.
Less than three weeks later, on 16 February 2024, Mgoqi was talking to a friend outside a tavern in Bergman when a gunman approached and opened fire. The attacker fled in a white Mercedes-Benz, while Mgoqi died at the scene.
Detective Captain Jacques Wilson led the murder investigation, which, together with Detective Sergeant Taiwe, uncovered links between the two shootings.
An intelligence-led operation by the Mangaung Trio Task Team tracked the suspects to a safe house in Wepener on 23 February 2024, where both men were arrested.
Working alongside Advocate Lucky Bontes of the NPA, investigators established that the pair had allegedly been hired to carry out both attacks for payment.
Court praises investigators
Handing down the sentence, Judge Van Zyl delivered a strong warning to those involved in contract killings, saying the courts have a duty to impose sentences that protect society and deter others from committing similar crimes.
In a rare move, the judge publicly praised Captain Wilson’s investigative work, asking him to stand in court while commending the dedication and perseverance of the investigation team that brought the case to a successful conclusion.
Seatile was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and a further 10 years for attempted murder. Monyane received life imprisonment for murder and an additional two years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Lesia welcomed the sentences, saying the convictions reflected the strength of cooperation between specialised police investigators, the Mangaung Trio Task Team and prosecutors.
He said the outcome sends a clear message that organised violent crime and contract killings will be relentlessly pursued and prosecuted.
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