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Two people have been handed life sentences for killing a KwaZulu-Natal traditional healer in a dispute over land.
The KwaZulu-Natal High Court sitting in Mtunzini sentenced Duduzile Philisiwe Gumbi and Ngcebo Sheperd Khuzwayo to life imprisonment for the murder of Zandile Zondo in the Gingindlovu area in February 2017.
Khuzwayo was handed a further two years and six months’ imprisonment for possession of an unlicensed firearm.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said a third accused, Fisokuhle Mfeka, became mentally ill before the start of the trial and was declared a state patient.
Before the murder, Gumbi and Zondo, the traditional healer, were involved in a dispute over land, said Ramkisson-Kara.
“Gumbi then decided to kill her. She enlisted the services of Khuzwayo, who sought assistance from Mfeka. On the day of the incident, the men armed themselves with a firearm and went to Zondo’s house under the pretext of seeking a consultation,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Ramkisson-Kara added, “Once alone with her, Mfeka shot her fatally, and the men then fled the area. Gumbi later paid Khuzwayo a sum of money, and they were arrested some weeks later.”
Prosecutor advocate Dan Magwaza used cellphone evidence and a confession by Gumbi to prove the State’s case.
Ramkisson-Kara said Magwaza also provided the court with a victim impact statement, compiled by Zondo’s daughter, and facilitated by court preparation officer Amanda Pretty Nxumalo.
“In her statement, the daughter said that her mother was a good and kind person, and their family had been torn apart following her death. She also mentioned that since her mother was killed at their homestead, being at home is a constant reminder to them that she is dead, and they cannot move past that,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Gumbi and Khuzwayo’s application for leave to appeal their conviction and sentence was denied.
Source News24