Sister calls for life terms for brothers’ two murderers

Nkosinathi Hlongwane and Nkosinathi Khumalo who were convicted of the February 2020 murder of brothers Joseph Sibonelo and Mjabuliseni Mpungose, did not show or verbalise remorse for the offence, but instead continued to deny it.

Nkosinathi Hlongwane and Nkosinathi Khumalo who were convicted of the February 2020 murder of brothers Joseph Sibonelo and Mjabuliseni Mpungose, did not show or verbalise remorse for the offence, but instead continued to deny it.

Published Jul 6, 2022

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Durban — The sister of two brothers who were gunned down while sitting under a tree at KwaMashu’s Hostel, hope that the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court would hand the two men convicted of the murders the maximum sentence on Wednesday.

“We want them to get a life for what they did, it tore us apart inside and it’s still with us as a family, like a wound that will never heal. We always think of them – when we are faced with hard times financially we remember how they looked after us as breadwinners,” said Ntombiyenkosi Mpungose.

She had been speaking outside court on Tuesday, after sentencing proceedings against Nkosinathi Hlongwane and Nkosinathi Njabulo Fikani Khumalo began, and were rolled over to continue on Wednesday.

Hlongwane and Khumalo, who were convicted of the February 2020 murder of brothers Joseph Sibonelo and Mjabuliseni Mpungose, did not show or verbalise remorse for the offence, but instead continued to deny it.

This was according to the observations of a correctional services officer and probation officer, who took the stand in court with their reports on both the accused before their sentencing.

The State’s evidence in the matter was that, on the day, the two brothers were sitting under a tree with a third person, and a group of people walked past and a remark was made, complimenting the shoes of one of those in the group by those under the tree.

Later that day, Hlongwa and Khumalo walked toward the men under the tree but, instead of walking past, opened fire repeatedly.

The third person, who was with the brothers, managed to escape while the two perished in a hail of bullets.

Hlongwane and Khumalo were arrested later on the same day and have been in custody since, having been denied bail. Hlongwane, at the time of his arrest, was found in possession of an unlawful firearm.

Probation officer JK Msomi told the court that the two accused were interviewed in May, at Westville Prison, following which further interviews were done with their families in Nkandla, as well as the Mpungose family.

Msomi said that she interviewed Mjabuliseni’s fiancée Bongiwe Gina, who explained how – after hearing gunshots – she ran to the scene to find the brothers laying there “helplessly”.

“The two have a child together, who was 4 at the time, who is now 6 years old and in Grade 1,” she said, adding that Gina – who is unemployed – was struggling.

Msomi’s recommendation was for a sentence that would promote rehabilitation and partaking in programmes such as the aggressive offender programme.

She pointed out that the two had not shown remorse for their actions.

Correctional services officer MB Hlongwa told the court that both men had relatives who had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, pledging to house and support them.

“He pleaded not guilty and does not verbalise remorse.

“He stated that, given a chance to apologise, he would not – because he didn’t commit the offence,” Hlongwa said of Hlongwane. He said that Khumalo had also stated that if he apologised, he would be admitting that he committed the murders.

Defence attorney TL Khambula, for both the men, began mitigation of sentence on Tuesday, and State prosecutor Kaystree Ramsamujh was to address the court in aggravation of sentence, before Magistrate E La Grange handed down the sentence.

Daily News