The Mthatha High Court has sentenced Fezile Wilberforce Mazitshana (47) to life imprisonment for the murder of his cousin and uncle he had taken out funeral and life insurance policies for.
Mazitshana, of Mdeni Location in Ngcobo, was employed by the Eastern Cape Department of Pathology Laboratories when he planned and executed the killings.
“In the period before January 21, 2018, Mazitshana took out funeral and life insurance policies for his extended family members, making himself the beneficiary of the policies.”
“As part of his employment duties, he would go and collect their bodies, sign off death certificates and fast track the paperwork to claim the policies. Investigations were only launched after the death of Madodandile Nxiwa, who was shot and killed by a hitman at Ngxoki Location, which is not far from Mazitshana’s home,” said National prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
“The hitman was cornered and severely assaulted by community members. The police rescued him from the mob, and he revealed that he had been hired and supplied with a firearm by Mazitshana,” Tya;I added.
The accused hitman became the state witness according to Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after entering into a plea agreement with the state.
Police investigations also linked Mazitshana to the murder of his uncle, Tedolious Bhanise Mazitshana, on March 17, 2017, in Libode.
His lifeless body was found on an open field with gunshot wounds. The deceased was last seen with his nephew, the convicted murderer. The firearm recovered by the police from the hitman was positively linked to this crime.
During Mazitshana’s trial, State Adv. Done Trietch led the evidence of Detective Sergeant Wonke Njobe, who presented reports of the government vehicle tracking system used in the commission of the crimes, cellphone spider correlation and monies ranging between R30 000 and R120 000 paid into Mazitshana’s account, along with all policy application forms filled in and signed by him.
The court also declared him unfit to own a firearm and revoked his existing firearm licence. His application for leave to appeal was successfully opposed by the prosecution.
Welcoming the sentence, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo commended the prosecutor and the investigating officer for their meticulous presentation of evidence.
– ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY
