The two men admitted their roles in the killing of councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu. Image:
KwaZulu-Natal
1Min
South Africa
Two sentenced to life for murder of uMngeni DA Chief Whip
The two men admitted their roles in the killing of councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, who was gunned down in front of his wife and children at his Mpophomeni home in December 2023.
Two men linked to the murder of uMngeni DA councillor and chief whip Nhlalayenza Ndlovu have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Hitman Khayelihle Shabalala and alleged hitman coordinator Thabo Mathonsi were sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
Ndlovu was shot and killed at his home in Mpophomeni on 5 December 2023 while his wife and children were present.
The murder triggered an investigation by the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), which has since worked to uncover those allegedly involved in planning and carrying out the killing.
Shabalala was identified as the alleged hitman, while Mathonsi was accused of coordinating the assassination from prison.
The case is not over, with three other suspects still facing the courts over their alleged roles in the killing.
Investigators arrested a fifth suspect, Mnelizi Zuma, in the Mpophomeni area last week. He is expected to appear in the Howick Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 4 September 2026, for a formal bail application.
Once his bail proceedings are concluded, Zuma is expected to join alleged mastermind Chief Simphiwe Zuma and alleged spotter Thobani Hlongwa in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for indictments.
Chief Simphiwe Zuma is accused of masterminding the murder of his nephew, Ndlovu.
The latest sentences have been welcomed by Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, who praised investigators for pursuing those linked to political killings.
Dimpane said the sentences should send a strong warning to those involved in political violence, particularly as South Africa moves closer to the local government elections.
The SAPS said the investigators remained focused on ensuring that those responsible for political killings face justice and that victims' families and fellow politicians can find closure.
