Glebelands Hostel hitman sentenced to life imprisonment
19 September 2017
Durban – A Glebelands Hostel hitman who shot a man dead at the Umlazi Magistrate's Court has been sentenced to life imprisonment, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has said.
Mxoleleni Bhani, 28, shot Sipho Ndovela, 35, on May 18, 2015. Ndovela was on the court's premises when Bhani approached him.
The accused drew his firearm and shot Ndovela seven times before he fled the scene, Mbalula said in a statement on Monday.
Bhani was sentenced on Friday, September 15, when Mbalula visited the hostel. During his visit he promised that a satellite police station would be opened at the hostel in a week's time.
A KwaZulu-Natal task team arrested Bhani on August 6, 2015, while he was appearing for another murder and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition at the Umlazi Magistrate's Court.
He was also linked to an attempted murder case that was reported at Glebelands Hostel on June 11 where a 40-year-old man was shot and wounded.
"Surely this thug was not working alone, he might have just been a hitman, and therefore I expect crime intelligence to double their efforts in arresting the mastermind of these killings," Mbalula added.
Ninety-three people have been shot dead at the hostel in Umlazi since March 2014.
"I am more than confident that other cases that are currently in court will also bear similar results. Our communities must work with and trust the police. The police are doing their utmost best in maintaining law and order in our country," Mbalula said.
