GQEBERHA – Convicted mass murderer Mzwandile Mahambehlala (36) was sentenced to eight terms of life imprisonment by the Gqeberha High Court on Thursday, 9 July, for the 2023 KwaZakhele mass shooting that claimed the lives of eight people and left three others injured.
Acting Judge Mziwonke Samson Dunywa also sentenced Mahambehlala to five years’ imprisonment for the unlawful possession of a firearm, three years’ imprisonment for the unlawful possession of ammunition and 10 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder. All the sentences, including the eight life terms, were ordered to run concurrently.
@ecexpressnews Eight lives lost. Eight life sentences handed. 🔒 Mzwandile Mahambehlala has been sentenced at the Gqeberha High Court after being found guilty of 8 counts of murder in the 2023 KwaZakhele mass shooting. #JusticeServed #GqeberhaHighCourt #KwaZakhele #SouthAfrica #truecrimetiktok #BreakingNews #SAPS #easterncapetiktok ♬ original sound – PE Express
As he was walking away from the dock following the sentencing, Mahambehlala raised his hand in a salute towards a person seated in the public gallery who quickly walked out of the courtroom.
According to SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, the conviction stems from the mass shooting that occurred on 29 January 2023 in Maqanda Street in KwaZakhele.
“Vusumzi Sishuba was celebrating his birthday with family and friends when his brother, Andile Sishuba, arrived from KuGompo City at approximately 17:40,” she said. “Within 15 minutes, two armed males approached from the direction of Andile’s house.”
Gantana said when Andile confronted the men to enquire about their business, they drew firearms and opened fire on the gathering, killing eight people and injuring three others.
At Thursday’s hearing, the court heard that Mahambehlala was convicted on 26 June 2026 for eight counts of murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also heard that the murders were committed in circumstances described in section 51(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997, which states that “the accused had a common purpose with others to kill the deceased and/or the murders were premeditated.”
Judge Dunywa told the court that “the sentence to be given to the accused must be appropriate, meaning it must neither be too harsh nor too lenient.”
@ecexpressnews SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana reacts after convicted mass murderer Mzwandile Mahambehlala was sentenced to eight life terms in the Gqeberha High Court for the 2023 KwaZakhele mass shooting that claimed eight lives. "We remain committed to ensuring that all South Africans are and feel safe." #Justice #Gqeberha #KwaZakhele #SAPS #MassShooting #LifeSentence #SouthAfrica #TrueCrime #BreakingNews #Courts ♬ original sound – PE Express
The court also heard the personal circumstances of the accused. “The accused is 36 years old, not married and has seven children, aged 18, 15, 10, 8 and 5, who all live with their mothers. The accused is paying maintenance for the children.
“He is self-employed, owning a car wash with a monthly profit of R4,000 to R6,000. He has no previous convictions. He has been in custody since his arrest in 2023. The defence conceded that there are no substantial and compelling reasons for the court to consider,” Judge Dunywa said.
He added that the offences were tragic and violent, involving a mass shooting of eight people at one time and in one place. “The deceased were all both friends and family, men and women of various age groups, in a celebratory event, who were killed at once. Most of them were breadwinners in their families, and their children are left without support. The accused does not appear to be remorseful for his actions.”
On the seriousness of the offence, Judge Dunywa added that the offences of murder and mass shootings are prevalent in Gqeberha and surrounding areas. “This massacre was propelled by greed in the tendering business,” he stated.
Victim impact statements
In passing sentence, Judge Dunywa referred to three victim impact statements submitted by the Mboya, Koliti and Sishuba families, which detailed the lasting emotional, psychological and financial impact of the mass shooting.
The court heard that the Mboya family said the loss of their loved one had devastated the family, caused divisions among relatives and robbed them of the future they had hoped to share with him.
Members of the Koliti family told the court that the murder of Nandipha Koliti had profoundly affected their lives. One family member said the loss of her mother had caused significant emotional trauma, while another said they had dropped out of school because they could no longer cope. Nandipha’s mother described herself as heartbroken and said the tragedy had left her struggling to move forward.
Nomaxabiso Sishuba, who witnessed the shooting, told the court she suffered severe psychological and emotional trauma that required two weeks of hospitalisation and ongoing treatment with antidepressants. She also said she had been left with the responsibility of providing emotional and financial support to the children of her deceased brothers, adding that her mother’s grief after the shooting ultimately led to her death.
Sentenced to life imprisonment
Judge Dunywa noted that the Criminal Law Amendment Act prescribes life imprisonment as the minimum sentence for offences of this nature, unless substantial and compelling circumstances justify a lesser sentence. After weighing the aggravating and mitigating factors, the court found that no such circumstances existed to warrant a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.
Judge Dunywa sentenced Mahambehlala to five years’ imprisonment for the unlawful possession of a firearm, three years’ imprisonment for the unlawful possession of ammunition, life imprisonment on each of the eight murder counts, and 10 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder. The court ordered that all the sentences run concurrently.
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