QONCE – A man has been sentenced to 15 years of direct imprisonment following a fatal brawl at a traditional ceremony in Khwenxurha last year, a ruling welcomed by Acting Amathole District Commissioner Brigadier Zinikele Freddie.

According to SAPS spokesperson Captain Majola Nkohli, the court additionally declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.

“This month, the KuGompo Regional Court convicted Bongani Mbali (46) and sentenced him to 15 years of direct imprisonment after he fatally stabbed Sikhumbuzo Mfiki (34) during an altercation at a traditional ceremony at Soto location, Khwenxurha,” he said.

Nkohli added that the court heard that on Saturday, 8 March 2025, Mbali confronted Mfiki and a group of friends who were chatting, drinking, and laughing at a homestead hosting a traditional ceremony in Soto location, Khwenxurha.

“Agitated by their laughter, Mbali confronted them, drew a knife, and fatally stabbed Mfiki,” he said. “Mbali fled the scene immediately after the incident. He was later tracked down and apprehended at a hideout in Ndevana, outside Qonce.”

The Acting Amathole District Commissioner, Brigadier Zinikele Freddie, praised the dedication and diligence of the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Dunjwa, who, within days of the incident, managed to track down the suspect to his hideout in Ndevana.

“This sentence will serve as a lesson to people who have a propensity for violence when under the influence of alcohol. Being drunk does not diminish a person’s legal or moral responsibility for reckless, violent actions,” Freddie concluded.

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