logo
Siblings sentenced for 2020 principal killing

Siblings sentenced for 2020 principal killing

TimesLIVE09-07-2025
The Pietermaritzburg high court has sentenced two siblings to life imprisonment and an additional 28 years for the murder of a school principal in Greytown in 2020.
Mzomuhle Zondi, 41, and Khumbulani Zondi, 39, were convicted for the brutal murder of Somashi High School principal Mzweleni Zuma, 46, robbery with aggravating circumstances and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Zuma was shot dead in his office in front of pupils and other teachers in the KwaDolo area in Greytown.
A group of armed men stormed the school premises, fatally shot Zuma and fled the scene. The men hijacked a vehicle at gunpoint in the Ngome area to use as a getaway vehicle.
Greytown and Pietermaritzburg police, with local security companies, recovered the vehicle.
The Zondis were arrested the same day and found in possession of two unlicensed firearms, including an R5 rifle and ammunition.
The state opposed bail and the two were in custody since 2020.
The investigating team lead by detective Thembeka Mgobhozi presented evidence in court which resulted in their conviction.
The court found both accused guilty on all charges.
Umzinyathi district commissioner Maj-Gen Francis Slambert commended the investigating officer and the rest of the team for their work.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mother gets bail after fatal stabbing of son in Alexandra
Mother gets bail after fatal stabbing of son in Alexandra

The Citizen

timea day ago

  • The Citizen

Mother gets bail after fatal stabbing of son in Alexandra

The Alexandra Magistrate's Court has granted R5 000 bail to a 40-year-old Community Policing Forum (CPF) member accused of murdering her 21-year-old son. According to Alex News, the woman, a mother of four, appeared for a formal bail application yesterday. She faces a single count of murder after her adult son was stabbed to death, allegedly by her, on July 5 at their home in Alexandra. Kitchen argument turned fatal The prosecution said the incident followed an argument in the kitchen, sparked by the son's apparent intoxication. The dispute escalated, culminating in the fatal stabbing, witnessed by two of the accused's minor children. Describing the charge as a Schedule 5 offence — a serious crime requiring stringent bail scrutiny — the state acknowledged its gravity but did not oppose bail. 'There is no element of premeditation that the state is alleging,' the prosecutor said, emphasising that the act was not planned. The state urged the court to balance the interests of justice with the needs of the accused's children, especially her infant. Defence cites community ties The defence presented the accused's affidavit, which underscored her deep roots in Alexandra. In it, the accused revealed that Alexandra is not only her home, but also her family's and her workplace as a CPF member. She noted that she does not have any travel documents. It was on the basis of this affidavit that the defence assured the court the accused posed no flight risk. The defence stated that the accused has no prior convictions, pending cases or protection orders. In her affidavit, she also committed to not interfere with witnesses or the ongoing investigation should she be released on bail. Court ruling and bail conditions After a two-hour adjournment, the magistrate delivered her ruling. 'There is no evidence before this court that she may attempt to flee justice,' the magistrate stated, citing the accused's lack of travel documents and strong community ties. She also found no evidence suggesting the accused would commit further crimes, intimidate witnesses or disturb public order. Bail was set at R5 000, with conditions including that the accused report to the Alexandra Police Station once a week, be moved to an alternative home, and have no contact with witnesses. She was, however, allowed to reunite with her infant child. The case was postponed to August 13 for further investigation. Alex News knows the identity of the accused but has chosen to withhold it to protect the privacy of the minor witnesses involved. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on

Zuma and MK party contest Ramaphosa's decision to suspend Mchunu
Zuma and MK party contest Ramaphosa's decision to suspend Mchunu

The Citizen

timea day ago

  • The Citizen

Zuma and MK party contest Ramaphosa's decision to suspend Mchunu

Zuma and the MK party filed an urgent application seeking to invalidate the police minister's leave of absence. Former President Jacob Zuma and the MK party have responded to President Cyril Ramaphosa's answering affidavit, which claims that the MK party is attempting to score political points against him through its Constitutional Court challenge to his decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on leave. Zuma and the MK party filed an urgent application on 18 July seeking to invalidate Mchunu's leave of absence and Wits law Professor Firoz Cachalia's appointment as acting police minister. Challenge They is also challenging Ramaphosa's establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate corruption allegations in the police. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations during a media briefing this month, accusing Minister Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, of political interference in police operations. ALSO READ: Here's why Zuma's MK party wants Ramaphosa removed in 'urgent' motion of no confidence Dealing with ministers In Ramaphosa's answering affidavit on Wednesday, the president argued that the constitution gives him 'a wide berth as to how to deal with ministers'. 'It is clear that I am empowered to place a minister on special leave when there are serious allegations… so that those allegations can be properly investigated,' said Ramaphosa. 'Where I was not empowered to suspend a minister pending the outcome of an investigation … I would be compelled in all cases, regardless of the circumstances, to dismiss the minister simply on the basis of the allegations … even if they may, on investigation, turn out to be unfounded,' Ramaphosa said. 'Constitutional power' In response to Ramaphosa's answering affidavit, which missed the initial deadlines set by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, Zuma argues there's no express constitutional power allowing Ramaphosa to impose 'special leave on Mchunu. Zuma said there are details in Ramaphosa's affidavit that Mchunu will return as minister of police after the commission of inquiry. 'There is nothing said in the president's affidavit which justified placing Minister Mchunu on 'special leave' and thereby cause him to retain his ministerial title, salary and other perks or privileges at the expense of the long-suffering taxpayer. 'There is simply no potential that he will ever return to the portfolio of Minister of Police, irrespective of the outcome of the commission of inquiry. That unlikely eventuality may also be subject to the ongoing criminal investigations against him, as well as the outcomes of the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee. The ends do not justify the means. All we are left with are ex post facto and Illegal rationalisations,' Zuma said. ALSO READ: 'Ramaphosa will go down in history as one of the most useless presidents' – analyst Whitfield and Mchunu Zuma argues that while DA's Andrew Whitfield did not admit guilt, contrary to the president's claim, the allegations against Whitfield were also untested. 'For a police minister or any minister to collude with criminals is objectively more serious than travelling abroad without permission.' 'It is also plainly false to state that Mr Whitfield ever admitted the allegations against him. The president has produced no evidence of this, Zuma argued. Cachalia In the affidavit, Zuma said Ramaphosa 'openly dodges' the clear distinction between the power to appoint a 'minister' and the different power to appoint an 'acting minister'. 'The two are plainly not the same. The obfuscatory reference to the credentials of Prof Cachalia is nothing but deflection. For the record, no issue is taken against the Professor's credentials… The issue is whether he was constitutionally qualified to be appointed by the president. The answer is that he was not.' Mchunu Zuma's affidavit also takes direct aim at Mchunu's version of events, portraying it as 'evasive and legally flawed.' 'The minister's affidavit is a masterclass in evasion — it skirts the core allegations and offers no constitutional basis for the executive's conduct. The minister's affidavit is riddled with deflection and fails to confront the gravity of the allegations raised by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.' Judicial commission Zuma's argument about the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is sharply focused on its judicial nature and the risk of bias. While Zuma does not oppose the idea of a commission itself — and agrees it may be necessary — what he challenges is the appointment of a judge (Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga) to chair it, given that the judiciary is among the institutions implicated by Mkhwanazi. 'It is irrational and unconstitutional to appoint a judge to chair a commission that is mandated to investigate allegations implicating members of the judiciary. This violates the principle that no one should be a judge in their own cause.' Impartiality Zuma wraps up his argument by framing the challenge not as defiance, but as a constitutional safeguard — emphasising fairness and legality in the mechanisms of oversight. 'I make this application not to avoid accountability, but to ensure that the process by which accountability is demanded is itself lawful, impartial, and consistent with the constitution.' Zuma argued that appointing a judge to lead a commission investigating the judiciary violates the constitutional principle of impartiality — specifically, that 'no one should be a judge in their own cause.' ALSO READ: MK party slams Ramaphosa over missed Mandela Day deadline

Court grants bail to CPF member accused of son's murder
Court grants bail to CPF member accused of son's murder

The Citizen

timea day ago

  • The Citizen

Court grants bail to CPF member accused of son's murder

Alexandra Magistrate's Court granted R5 000 bail to a 40-year-old Community Policing Forum (CPF) member accused of murdering her 21-year-old son. The woman, a mother of four, appeared for a formal bail application on July 24, facing a single count of murder after allegedly stabbing her adult son to death on July 5 at their home in Alexandra. The prosecution said that the incident followed an argument in the kitchen, sparked by the son's apparent intoxication. The dispute escalated, culminating in the fatal stabbing, witnessed by two of the accused's minor children. Also read: Fifth suspect added to Tebogo Thobejane's attempt murder case Describing the charge as a schedule five offense, a serious crime requiring stringent bail scrutiny, the state acknowledged its gravity but did not oppose bail. 'There is no element of premeditation that the state is alleging,' the prosecutor said, emphasising that the act was not planned. The state further urged the court to balance the interests of justice with the needs of the accused's children, especially her infant. The defence presented the accused's affidavit, which underscored her deep roots in Alexandra. In the affidavit, the accused revealed that Alexandra is not only her home, but her family's home, and her place of work as a CPF member. She further noted that she does not have any travel documents. It was on the basis of this affidavit that the defence assured the court that the accused posed no flight risk. The defence further said the accused has no prior convictions, no pending cases, or protection orders. In the affidavit, the accused also committed to not interfering with the witnesses or the ongoing investigation should she be released on bail. Also read: MK Party pledges sustained pressure in Vusimuzi Matlala criminal case After a two-hour adjournment, the magistrate delivered her ruling. 'There is no evidence before this court that she may attempt to flee justice,' the magistrate stated, citing the accused's lack of travel documents and strong community ties. She also found no evidence suggesting the accused would commit further crimes, intimidate witnesses, or disturb public order. Bail was set at R5 000, with conditions that, among others, the accused would report to the Alexandra Police Station once a week, be moved to an alternative home, and have no contact with witnesses, though she was allowed to reunite with her infant child. The case was postponed to August 13, for further investigation. Alex News knows the identity of the accused, but has chosen to withhold it to protect the privacy of the minor witnesses involved. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store