THE Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Graskop has on Thursday, 14 September sentenced Evidence Nkuna (36), Kriel Khoza (23), Christ Zwane (28) and Prayer Mdluli (26) to life plus 10 years imprisonment each for kidnapping and murdering Skhumbuzo Skhumbane.
Skhumbuzo was a KFC worker at Mkhuhlu Plaza in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview Mpumalanga.
Their arrest comes after being linked to the deceased's murder. This was they took and assaulted him, accusing him of stealing a laptop.
Skhumbuzo disappeared, and his body was found in the Sabie River in Mpumalanga.
Skhumbuzo's body was retrieved by Bushbuckridge municipal chief Whip Bhunu Malandule, along with a family friend, Ralph Mpangane, from the river connecting Kruger National Park while still wearing his work uniform.
NPA spokeswoman Monica Nyuswa said the four were found guilty of premeditated murder and two counts of kidnapping Skhumbane.
"Nkuna is the uncle of the deceased, and before the incident, the deceased, Skhumbane was suspected of stealing Nkuna's relative laptop. On 2 July 2022, Nkuna took the deceased to the local tavern, where he met his co-accused. While drinking, an altercation about the stolen laptop between Nkuna and the deceased ensued. Nkuna approached his co-accused to grab the deceased and tie his legs and hands with an electric wire," she said.
"They loaded him into Nkuna's vehicle, drove to the deceased place of residence and took Thandeka Siyenga. They proceeded to the bushes around Sabie Dam. At all relevant times, the accused were assaulting the deceased while he was in their custody with the Sjambok, punched and kicked in the presence of Thandeka Siyenga," she said.
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She said during the police investigation, the four accused were arrested, and they pleaded not guilty in court.
The state relied purely on circumstantial evidence. State Advocate Fedile Tsotetsi led evidence of the surviving victim, who testified that the deceased was assaulted in her presence, taken to the boot of the car, and drove to Sabie River.
She further told the court that she heard the deceased screaming, and when she enquired about his whereabouts, Nkuna told her that he had escaped and jumped into the dam.
A photo album showing the deceased body tied was admitted on records as evidence. A postmortem report confirming that the deceased's cause of death was drowning and blunt force injury to the head was submitted.
Judge Anna Kgoele found all accused guilty of murder and two counts of kidnapping.
