KWANOJOLI – A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment by the KwaNojoli Magistrate’s Court for murdering the victim and attempting to conceal the crime by burying the deceased’s body and later dumping it in a nearby river.

According to police spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy, the sentence, delivered on 9 September to Elton Hector, followed a conviction for murder and defeating the ends of justice.

He said the conviction stems from an incident on 3 September 2025 at a farm in the KwaNojoli (formerly Somerset East) area.

McCarthy said Hector and the deceased were drinking with friends when a late-night argument broke out inside the house.

He said the altercation escalated into a physical fight outside, during which Hector stabbed the victim, inflicting fatal injuries.

“In a desperate attempt to conceal the crime, the accused dug a shallow hole and buried the deceased’s body. During the early hours of the following morning, Hector returned to the site, retrieved the body and threw it into a nearby river. However, the river’s current was not strong enough to sweep the body away,” said McCarthy.

He said that, following a missing person’s report, meticulous police interrogation helped to break the case.

“Under questioning, the accused confessed to the murder and led the police to the exact location where the body had been dumped,” said McCarthy.

He said the accused was subsequently arrested and stood trial.

McCarthy said the case was thoroughly investigated and brought to a successful close by Detective Sergeant Loyiso Ngqoza of the KwaNojoli Detectives.

SAPS management has lauded the hefty sentence, praising Ngqoza for a highly professional and dedicated investigation that ensured the perpetrator was held fully accountable for both the murder and the subsequent desecration of the victim’s body.

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