Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal man who killed a 48-year-old taxi driver in February this year has been jailed for an effective 25 years.
Siyanda Mfundo Mahlambi, 23, pleaded guilty to the murder of Sihle Ismael Malembe on February 6, 2023.
In his Section 105A plea and sentence agreement handed to the Pietermaritzburg High Court by legal aid attorney Amanda Hulley, Mahlambi said he had met his friend at the Hlosukuhle Tuckshop in Dannhauser.
His friend had told him that they could make money if they stole a car, because he had a buyer for a car.
Mahlambi had agreed to steal a car because he needed the extra money to host a birthday party for his daughter.
The plan was to pretend to be passengers in a vehicle and rob the driver on a quiet road.
Mahlambi said that on the day of the murder they had had gone to a tavern, consumed alcohol and then made their way to a shopping mall.
They had planned to steal one of the vehicles used as a cab or taxi.
They had found Malembe seated in his vehicle and asked him to transport them to the Ntendeko area in Madadeni to fetch his children.
Malembe had agreed, for a fee of R200.
Mahlambi said that on a gravel road near the Ikhezi mine, his friend had asked the driver to stop so he could urinate.
When the driver had stopped, his friend did not get out the car. Instead, Mahlambi said he had used a shoelace in his possession to strangle Malembe.
He said Malembe had tried overpowering them and a struggle had ensued.
His friend had eventually used his bare hands to strangle the deceased.
Mahlambi said he had driven the vehicle and after a while, they had stopped to put the deceased into the boot.
Mahlambi claimed his friend had said they should dispose of the body in a river.
They had proceeded to a river at Bosswell Farm in Newcastle and used the back seat cover to drag the body to the river bank where they had attached a large stone to the cover.
They had pushed the deceased into the deep side of the river and left.
They had then driven to the Rooi Poort Farm Area in Dannhauser where they had picked up another person who knew a buyer for the vehicle.
The trio had proceeded to Dundee to sell the car and that same day, were stopped by police who noticed blood on the vehicle.
Mahlambi had immediately confessed to police and pointed out where they had dumped the deceased’s body in the river.
The court heard that Mahlambi was a father of a two-year-old girl and had been a casual general worker at the Kwazibambela Department of Transport since 2018.
He is a first time offender who said he was remorseful for his actions.
Acting Judge AJ Mathenjwa jailed Mahlambi to 25 years for the murder and 15 years for the robbery.
The matter was successfully prosecuted by State advocate Rakesh Singh.
The friend’s trial has not started yet.
IOL