Political Killings Task Team secures double life sentence for Richmond Municipal Manager’s killer

Mapaballo Borotho

The Political Killings Task Team has secured life imprisonment for hitman Sabelo Phewa.
He was convicted for the murder of Richmond Municipal Manager Sibusiso Sithole and linked to other killings.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola praised the task team’s success and testified on political interference at the Madlanga Commision.

The Political Killings Task Team has secured life imprisonment for the hitman behind the brutal murder of the Richmond Municipal Manager.

Sabelo Phewa has been convicted of the murder of Sibusiso Sithole, who was the Municipal Manager at the Richmond Local Municipality.

Sithole was fatally shot at the Richmond Licensing Centre in 2017. He was on his way to attend a council meeting to discuss issues he was investigating.

He was at the time investigating fraud and corruption involving tenders and kickbacks in the municipality. The SAPS Political Killings Task Team investigated the Sithole’s murder case in 2018, shortly after its inception.

National Police Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says their investigations led to the arrest of Phewa that same year.

“The firearm found in his possession at the time of his arrest was found to be linked to several other murders, including that of Amos Ngcobo, whose wife had ordered his hit. The wife turned state witness and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment”.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola welcomed the double life sentence handed down by the Pietermaritzburg High Court to Phewa.

“Well done to the SAPS political killings task team for cracking this case and ensuring a lengthy conviction for the hitman. Through this case, we were able to link and solve other cases, such as the murder of Amos Ngcobo. The number of life sentences secured by the task team is now more than 30 life sentences secured for several hitmen and hit orders,” said Masemola.

Meanwhile, Masemola is on the hot seat at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to testify in his capacity as the National Police Commissioner, regarding the bomb allegations that were made by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, implicating political figures including the suspended Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu.

In his testimony on Monday, Masemola revealed that Mchunu had no right to send instructions to disband any programme that had already been implemented to combat crime.

This after Mchunu sent instructions to disband the Political Killings Task Team which was already yielding results at the time.

Masemola revealed that Mchunu’s directive to disband the task team, established in 2018 to tackle politically related killings in KwaZulu-Natal, lacked clear reasons and came despite the team’s success in securing convictions.

He further revealed that Mchunu claimed that he was in agreement with President Cyril Ramaphosa that the team should be disbanded.